Dragon Ball:After Earth
by John Christians
Summary: Seventeen years after GT, the newest member of the Son family must face a terror unlike any encountered before. *ONGOING*
1. Prologue

  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor profit from Dragonball, or any works based on it. All characters associated with such are easily recognizable to those that care.(and are reading this, if you don't know what DBZ is move along before ya get hurt)  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Basically this is only my third fan fiction. The first few being lemons that were only up briefly before I requested they were removed from various sites. I owe this one to my partner in crime Rob, who helped me develop the fine character here-in, and the rest of the pack who came by our place to have a bit of fun and give their input.  
  
  
Dragonball:After Earth   
By Blood Wraith  
  
  
Prelude  
  
Pan was in all honestly bored. She had promised her parents to pick him up, but it was still more trouble then she thought it would be. She had things to do, it wasn't like she was getting any younger. She was going on twenty-nine now and was attempting to make a career as a martial arts instructor. The demi-sayai-jin gave a slight chuckle and flexed her arm a bit, peace for almost seventeen years and she was still the strongest woman in the world. She had even passed 18 a few years ago. She was just preparing to leave when the reason she had been here came running out of Orange Star High School towards her car.  
  
He would have stood out in most crowds. Not for his appearance so much as his expression. He was always smiling; nothing seemed to really bother him. Gohan said it was a trait that probably came from their grandfather. Goku was the same way. So it was with Pan's younger brother, Medon. Shortly after the incident when the Dragonballs had vanished along with Goku, her mother, Videl, had become pregnant again. The result was the sixteen-year old boy that was now charging down the stairs.   
  
The young woman took a minute to size up her brother as he ran. All the main family traits were there. Black hair that seemed to have a mind of it's own, slender build, and the large innocent eyes. She smiled to herself as he stopped next to the car panting and looked up at her with those eyes. Despite it all, he had the look of his mother. If anything it made him look at bit more innocent. Lavender eyes, set into softer features with the Son family's trademark happiness. He had also been named by Videl in honor of some favorite uncle.(1) He had lucked out genetically.  
  
He had caught his breath by this time and was managing to get out a few words.  
  
"Pan, I'm so so so sorry. I was in the library and they were letting me check out books and I didn't know which one to take, so I just had to read parts of some so I knew."  
  
It came out a bit to quick but she got the drift, where she had spent a lot of time with their grandfather and learned to fight, Medon had spent time with his father and learned to love to read and expand his mind. She had intended to yell at him for taking so long, it was the duty of a good older sister to make sure he was responsible after all, but it fled in the face of that smile. He was infectious.  
  
"Ok, Ok, your forgiven. Just this once though. Dad wanted me to pick you up today, they had a lot to get done today. With the new paper Dad just published and all."  
  
She saw her brothers face fall a bit at that, she knew why. He had been hoping that they had sent her to pick him up because it was his birthday, and they were setting up something. That was totally true, but Gohan had said to try to hide it, the last few parties that they had intended as surprises had fallen through due to something or another and he wanted this one to work out.  
  
Medon tossed his book-bag into the back of the car and got in. He watched Pan out of the corner of his eye as they pulled out of the parking lot and started home. He was faking with the look. He knew they wouldn't have sent her to pick him up otherwise. His parents and him lived to far from the city for driving to really be worthwhile, even if Pan did live in it. If they really wanted to make sure he got home, he would have just ridden on Kintou.  
  
They drove for about fifteen minutes before she stopped the car and turned to her brother. One eyebrow raising sharply, and her lips pursing up.   
  
"Well? Your not going to mope the entire drive are you? Just ask and then we can get on with it."  
  
He broke into a grin as soon as she said it, despite the look, which he usually got from his mother and was quickly followed with, "What is this under your bed" or some such thing in reference to a present or two from Uncle Goten.   
  
"You mean they didn't forget?!"  
  
She sighed and shook her head, he really could be such a....kid at times. Sixteen years old and his moods were closer to someone ten years younger.   
  
"Of course not. Even with Dad's paper, you know your Mom's pride and joy. She'd sooner tell Dad to go train and forget the scholar bit then let you be unhappy for ten minutes."  
  
He grinned and nodded, throwing his arms around his sister's neck and hugging her. Then sitting back he folded his hands in his lap and faced forward to let her finish driving, after all he'd have to look surprised whenever they got to where they were going.   
  
Pan shook her head again, he got that reaction from her a lot, he had since he had started walking, but she loved him dearly all the same. Pulling back out into traffic she headed towards their destination, The Capsule Corporation.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Bulma sat in the doorway to Capsule and looked out onto the interior lawn and couldn't help but smile. They had all been working on this for the last week, and seeing it come to conclusion was quite satisfying. The lawn area had been fixed up and made ready for the party. Tables were brought out and food prepared. Chi-Chi and Videl were even now working on the finishing touches on the cake. Both she and Chi-Chi were getting on in years, well into their sixties, and still the other woman had insisted she be allowed to do most of the work for the food for her grandson's party. Bulma knew why. After Goku had vanished with Shenron, they had an empty place in their hearts. Medon had helped to fill that void. Gohan's job kept him busy and away from home, especially after he started to write more and would go on lectures. So they all were there for Videl, whether it was babysitting Pan or simply picking her up something. It also gave Chi-Chi something to focus on. With both her sons grown and her husband gone, she had taken to Medon like he was her own, spoiling him rotten with a ferocity that only his mother had managed to equal.  
  
The only one who hadn't taken immediately to the boy, was of course, her mate. That would have been too easy. Instead it had turned into a series of subtle tests and insults aimed at the child's linage to whomever would listen. Vegeta had eventually grown more comfortable with Medon as the years had passed however. She suspected he was afraid the boy would grow to be more powerful then him. Seeing as how strong Pan had become, and as the Prince so nicely put it, she was only female. Bulma also suspected part of him desired that as much as he hoped for it. As Medon had grown though he had shown none of the hidden power of his father or even the potential of his sister. Vegeta actually said he was probably barely stronger then Bra, who had never trained in her life. Bulma for one was happy with that outcome, it caused the proud prince to finally act like a person a bit. That and the fact Bra had taken to Medon when he was a baby and was the main one who got to baby-sit for him. She had her father wrapped around her little finger, and anything she liked he would at least be sociable towards.  
  
She smiled again and ran a hand through her hair. Its' color had faded over the past years and was now a light lavender. She supposed it was better then going gray, as Chi-Chi had done. Of course on Chi-Chi it just seemed to make her appear all the more the matriarch of her family that she was.  
  
Bulma started slightly as someone sat down besides her, then relaxed as she heard the voice of her son.  
  
"Real nice job here Mom. Looks like everyone put a lot of hard work into this."  
  
She patted him on the knee and looked over to him, still always a bit amazed, as she was when she looked at any of them. Trunks was in his early forties now, and you'd be hard pressed to tell it. He really hadn't changed at all, since he had been in his late twenties. The only real difference was his eyes, he had become more responsible with his duties as head of Capsule Corp. and was starting to look a bit tired. He was happy though, or so he usually seemed. She suspected he wished he wasn't still single but that was something he really didn't need to hear from her. So she instead stuck to the subject on hand.  
  
"I think so. We even got your father to help by flying up and putting a few of the higher decorations up." She chuckled as she remembered the attempt at that.   
  
"Of course it took a whole prepared bit on how some of us were only fragile human females and we needed our valiant prince to do this for us."  
  
Trunks tried to imagine that and laughed. Vegeta probably didn't believe a word of it but no matter what anyone said or how he acted, he did still love Bulma, and would let her get away with little things like that, because she tended to spare his pride.  
  
"Well miracles will never cease. So how many more do we have coming?"  
  
"Hmmm, well I know Goten and Marron are coming, though I don't think they're bringing their little girl. Kuririn and 18 said they'll try to make it. After a few hundred years, Muten Roshi is finally slowing down and they want to make sure he's ok before they leave. Satan is already inside, I think he's taking a nap, at his age, hell at our age, we need them. Otherwise everyone is all here, Videl and Chi-Chi are inside. Your father wandered off but should be back when he smells food, and Bra and Gohan are finishing up the few decorations. We think Pan should be here with Medon within the next few minutes."  
  
Trunks gave a nod, leaning over and kissing his mother on the cheek before standing and going to find his sister and Gohan to give them a hand. He looked back over his shoulder as he walked though to look at his mother one last time. He tried to spend as much time with her as he could now. He regretted he hadn't been with her more when he was younger. In the last few years it had begun to dawn on him, while his father hadn't changed much, his mother was getting older. He didn't know how much longer he'd have with her, and wanted her to find the remaining time special. The demi-sayai-jin gave a frown and pushed the unpleasant thoughts from his head. She was happy now he knew that, it was in her eyes, but part of him still wished things could go back to right after Buu, when things all seemed perfect.  
  
Now was not a bad time though, it was simply time to move on. Though he'd have to get back into dating. He saw the way Chi-Chi dotted on her grandchildren, and hoped he'd be able to see Bulma doing the same someday.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dende yawned and looked out over the Earth. Things had been quiet for so long he almost didn't know why he came out everyday and stood, looking out over the Earth. It still felt right though, he was God, it was his duty. Peace had dulled his senses though, so it was that the first portal opened without anyone upon the blue planets knowledge.  
  
In a desolate wasteland upon the Northern Continent, the ground shuddered and gave a groan before it split open. Energy waves pulsed forth, followed by a dark blue flames that licked at the ground. Within the rift, something stirred.  
  
  
1.)The names in the Satan family all refer back to the underworld. Satan is obvious, Videl can be flipped into Devil, and Medon can be flipped into Demon.  



	2. Paradise Lost

DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor profit from Dragonball, or any works based on it. All characters associated with such are easily recognizable to those that care. If you do have a problem with this, I have no money!  
  
  
Dragonball:After Earth   
By Blood Wraith  
  
  
Chapter 1: Paradise Lost  
  
Pan rolled up the windows as they pulled up into the driveway of Capsule Corporation. The sky was growing a little dark and it looked like rain. Not that it mattered once they were inside, the interior lawn was inside a dome, they could enjoy outside and not get wet at all.  
  
"Ok squirt, we're here. Remember to at least pretend for everyone's sake. They all put a lot of work into this."  
  
Medon just bobbed his head happily in response and hopped out of the car, leaving his school things inside. He'd have no trouble appearing happy and surprised for his family and friends. He was ecstatic, as it was just knowing they'd gone to this much trouble for him.   
  
Pan just sighed again, then chuckled to herself as she got out of the car to follow him inside. She knew at the very least she'd enjoy the next few hours for her brother's happiness. Besides who knew, maybe Trunks would be here. She'd gotten a few ideas concerning the only male Sayai-jin she wasn't related to as of late.   
  
Medon hurried up to the front door of CC and rang the bell about a half dozen times before Pan came up behind him and yanked his hand away, giving him another one of those "Big Sister, you'd better knock it off looks", which he quickly cowered before. They didn't have to wait long before the door was answered.  
  
Bra paused a moment just inside before she opened the door. She figured with the way the doorbell was ringing they could wait another second. So she took the time to smooth out her dress, it was a short red number that showed just the right amount of cleavage. She had a date after this and it wouldn't do to go getting it wrinkled to early. After a few more seconds of primping she opened the front door, flashing the same smile she used to manipulate her father too her friends.  
  
"Hey you guys! We've been waiting for you, my mom just wanted you to stop by so she could give you a little something she put together."  
  
Pan looked up at her best friend and gave a little wink as she walked by her. She had to say something about Bra Briefs, she never let herself look out of sorts. Not that it would have been easy. Bra was tall, easily fives inches more then her at 5"5", and thin. Bulma constantly loved to point out that she looked like herself at that age.   
  
She gave her head another shake; she seemed to be doing a lot of that today. Well at least Medon wasn't taller then her, though the fact that they currently were the same height didn't say well for that.  
  
Bra had busied herself with inspecting Medon while they moved past to go inside. He really hadn't changed much in the last year, maybe a little taller but beyond that he still seemed to her the little boy she had taken care of. The thought he had really lucked out came to her, as she shut the door behind him and put a hand on his shoulder to direct him forward less he'd probably wander off into CC to find some gadget or another to mess with, he had been able to grow up in total peace. Hell the most fighting he'd seen was when he'd go to watch his sister compete in tournaments.  
  
They reached the door that led to the interior lawn, and standing in front of it was, of all people, Vegeta. The Sayai-jin Prince inspected them all with cool eyes, though Bra thought she saw a slight flicker when he looked at her, that was usual, he tended to indulge in fantasies of choking her boyfriends when they'd talk. Another minute passed until Pan getting annoyed cleared her throat, and Medon never being one to fear even the most powerful warrior on the planets wrath stepped forward.  
  
"Hi Mr.Vegeta. Nice day huh? I figure it's going to rain though, but that doesn't matter because it's warm in here and..."  
  
Bra looked over at Pan as Medon continued to rattle on and noticed her biting her lip not to laugh. The teenager was attempting to provoke Vegeta a bit. Mainly for the fact her father had calmed enough he wouldn't strike out, usually you'd get a harsh word or dozen and he'd walk off. The stream of swears that Vegeta could produce would keep Medon amused for hours, his own father being relatively soft spoken.  
  
The desired reaction didn't take long. She knew she hard the word idiot, and Kakarotto, a few times under his breath as her father shook his head and turned around, opening the door and leaning them into the enclosed lawn area.  
  
The demi-sayai-jin's all enjoyed a short laugh at the Prince's expense before they prepared to go in. Pan looked to her brother and nodded her head towards the door.  
  
"Go ahead, this is your day."  
  
He gave a grin and nodded, looking between his sister and Bra before going to move forward. He was stopped by a light touch on his shoulder, followed by Bra leaning down a few inches to press a soft kiss to his forehead.  
  
"Happy birthday kiddo."  
  
He nodded and headed through the door now. That had meant a lot to him, outside of his immediate family of his parents, grandparents, and Pan, Bra was the person who meant the most to him. He was just glad they were all here, so he went into the lawn, to the shouts of Happy Birthday from the assortment of friends and family there-in.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dende was turning to head back into the Lookout when he finally felt it. It was like someone had just slipped ice along his back, a shiver running its' way down his spine. The Namekian turned and looked around, a shout for aid was given.   
  
"Popo!"  
  
At the call of God, the genie quickly hurried from his duties out onto the front of the Lookout, high above the Earth below.  
  
"What is it Kami?"  
  
"Don't you feel it? I don't believe it took me this long. It's a dark ki that seems to be spawning out of the Earth itself."  
  
Popo closed his eyes and concentrated. It was times like this he wished Piccolo was still alive. He wasn't though, the powerful warrior had died when the Earth had been destroyed years ago.  
  
"Yes, Kami, I feel it. It's not coming from the Earth though. It seems more...of a portal, to somewhere."  
  
Dende thought on this and closed his eyes tighter. The antenna on his head twitching as he attempted to feel more into the dark energy that was growing upon his beloved planet.  
  
"Your correct Popo. It is like another plane of existence is bleeding over into our own. Such as when Hell opened up, but it's much more powerful then anything during that time. Like it's slowly consuming the planet itself."  
  
"Where is the disturbance now Kami?"  
  
"It's moving across the Northern Continent, but it's like a shroud. Once it passes over something I get nothing from the area. No feelings of people, not even the full horror of this ki. It's like anything it goes, things just cease to be."  
  
Popo thought a minute before he nodded and pulled out a small item from his vest, tossing it to the ground. A puff of smoke burst up, leaving a large red carpet which floated easily above the ground.  
  
"I'll go take a look Kami, you stay here."  
  
"Wait! It's to dangerous, you could be hurt Popo"  
  
"I will be fine Kami. I must go, you cannot risk yourself and we need to see what is happening."  
  
With that the genie jumped onto the flying carpet which burst into motion at his mental command. Zipping down away from the Lookout of God towards the Earth.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
What Popo saw when he reached the Northern Continent was something out of one of his worst nightmares. Not even the destruction put upon the planet by Buu could equal what he saw here. The land appeared charred, as if a great fire had burned across it. The cities lay in waste, buildings crushed and falling in upon themselves. The people lay among the ruins, torn and shredded.  
  
That wasn't what frightened him the most though. What did, was the fact it was totally quiet, except for the sound of his own breathing. He was preparing to leave, to go report to God when he felt ki all around him. Yet he didn't see anything. He spun and hoped about on the carpet, trying to catch a glimpse of something. Then he heard the rushing of wind, as something moving through the air at high speed and dropped straight to his belly. Pudgy hands covered his head as an intense heat rushed over his back, scorching his fine vest.  
  
He was trembling now, the ki was right in front of him, and he raised eyes to it. Standing before Popo was a huge being. Easily ten foot tall and covered with a layer of red scales. Massive muscles rippled underneath the scales as the great shifted closer to him. Easily flapping wings like those of a bat kept it aloft. It's head, almost reptilian in it's shape, but topped with a set of curving horns like those of a bull leaned forward as if inspecting this fat little man before it.  
  
"Well well, what do we have here?"  
  
Popo took a deep breath and stood up. It didn't really matter what he did now, but maybe he could at least get some information for God.  
  
"I am Popo, Servant of God. Who...or what are you?"  
  
The beast smiled at him, double rows of razor edged teeth being displayed for Popo's viewing pleasure. The genie could swear he saw pieces of flesh upon them.  
  
"Me? Ahhh, why do so many ask that when they know their end is upon them?" The creature snorted and gave a gesture similar to a shrug. "I am Baal, General of the 9th Legion of the Dark Dimension. I suppose to your little mind, I'd be a daemon or some such thing."  
  
"Well..w..what are you doing here?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? We have populated our own realm as much as possible, destroyed every natural species within it. It is what we exist to do. Now we have chosen this on dimension as our playground."  
  
Popo's eyes widened. If what the creature said was true, they were from a complete separate reality from this one. Which would mean they could possess power unlike anything ever experienced upon this planet. He opened his mouth to speak to God, to tell him a course of action but found no words coming forth. Only a coldness spreading along his fingers. His gaze fell down and he saw why, a thick trail of red gore spilled along his chest from his shredded neck. Yet he felt no pain, and knew he was already gone. He couldn't even come back because the Dragonballs were gone. Vanished with Son Goku so many years ago. How he wished it could go on a little longer, how he could warn God and help protect the Earth.   
  
Then Popo fell over dead, his carpet slowly beginning to falter in it's flight before it to plummeted to the Earth. The limp body following it down to the ground below.  
  
Baal snorted and licked the tips of its' razor edged fingers. The genie was a nice minor distraction but they had a goal in mind. Upon their arrival to the dimension, their warlock had detected a number of large powers. All were gathered in the same place. So they were heading straight to that location. Baal could teleport as most of the more powerful of his kind could, but most of the foot soldiers could not, so they were progressing slowly. It still would not be long, another few minutes at max.   
  
The great destroyer looked to the warlock floating off to the side, it's black robes covering most of it's form, except for the two pinpoints of light deep within.   
  
"Vecna! What was your estimate of these mortals power?"  
  
The two yellow dots shifted a moment to the larger daemon, probing for a moment before answering. "The Legions we possess now should be enough, though expect losses to be at 75% or higher. There is not many but their might is all great. If you enter the combat yourself you would be able to cut losses down to 40%, and if I involve myself as well the battle can be won without to much damage."  
  
Baal laughed again and flapped his wings, vanishing form Vecna's view as he launched ahead of the mass of darkness which sped across the land, destroying all it touched.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Son Gohan sat off to the side watching the party. It was going great so far. He figured Pan had told Medon what was going on, but the boy had still acted completely surprised, much to the delight of Videl and Chi-Chi.  
  
At the moment Chi-Chi was busy making yet another round of exceptional food for the group. Age hadn't managed to slow her yet, and Gohan didn't really think his mother would ever stop.  
  
He smiled and looked up to Mr.Satan who was coming over to sit down by him. The elder man groaned and every bone in his body popped as he settled into a lawn chair.  
  
"A nice sight isn't it?"  
  
"It sure is sir, we're glad you could make it. It means a lot to all of us."  
  
Satan laughed, which quickly turned into a cough. Smoking cheap cigars had gotten to him finally it seemed. After recovering he went into his initial intent to speak.  
  
"Ah, don't worry bout it son. The World Champion never lets down his fans. Especially if they're his own family."  
  
The big man beat on his chest as if to put more emphasis onto the statement of him being The World Champion. Even though it really was no longer the case. He had stopped participating in The Tenkaichi Bodoukai years ago. Pan was actually the current World Champion, a title she would most likely not lose until she chose to step down. They all knew it meant a lot to him though the he had been the champion the longest though and never told the old man otherwise.  
  
Gohan gave a nod and patted his father-in-law on the shoulder, making a promise to bring him another beer when he headed back this way. Then he went over to another old friend who had become an uncle due to an odd twist.  
  
Kuririn, sat at a picnic table, he had finished his meal. What he could eat anyway. 18 had taken over that aspect of his life a few years ago. As she put it, if she was going to live to be a ripe old age, he was going to do the same. He was at the moment watching his son-in-law Goten devour everything in sight. Marron had gone off to talk to her mother, so Goten had taken the opportunity to clear out the food.  
  
The monk gave a chuckle, Goku had been the same way. Except he wouldn't even wait for you to leave, he would just dig in and then stare around innocently when it was all gone. Shouts from the table behind him, said that scene had most likely been recreated. He turned to look over as Gohan sat down besides him. Videl had a wet cloth in her hand and her son by the ear in the other. Scolding him for leaving nothing for anyone else, while at the same time cleaning the mess of it off his face, as he squirmed and tried to get away.  
Kuririn laughed again and looked over to his friend.   
  
"What does that remind you of?"  
  
Gohan grinned and nodded in response.   
  
"Mom use to do that to Dad a lot. Looks like she managed to rub off on Videl after all. All that talk of being a good wife and mother I suppose."  
  
"Nah, Videl could have done that anyway. Now 18..." the little man leaned over and lowered his voice, eyes darting around, as he spoke. "she took quite a few years to adapt to it."  
  
The grin didn't leave Gohan's face, but his dark eyes did shift to the side, giving Kuririn enough warning to sit up and start to whistle. It didn't help him as he was lifted by the back of his jacket off his seat and held level with the scowling face of his wife.  
  
18 hadn't changed in years, she probably never would until the day she died. She was just as powerful and beautiful as the day he had met her. She also had the same temper.  
  
Kuririn held his hands out helplessly to her, not really much else he could do. Still he had shaved his mustache this morning per her request so he hoped that would give him some points. He smiled and gave a little prayer.  
  
She glared at him for another minute then dropped him into a heap on the ground. She gave another look about and seeing Gohan was the only one looking bent over and gave him a quick kiss, then she headed back towards Marron. Snatching up Goten on the way by the back of his pants and dragging him along.   
  
Gohan helped up his friend, still smiling.  
"It may have taken awhile, but it seems she at least lets you know it worked every so often."  
  
Kuririn nodded and dusted himself off.  
"Yeah. I still kinda wish she was more...open with things like that. If i wanted cold, I would have married Vegeta."  
  
Gohan's jaw dropped open and his eyebrows shot up at that notion. Seeing the expression Kuririn continued with his life of conversation.   
  
"Hey that pink shirt of his and all...rowr."  
  
That was all the demi-sayai-jin could take and he let loose in laughter Kuririn joining him soon afterwards.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Vegeta was away from the group as he always was. It wasn't because he didn't want to be here. If he did he would have gone into the gravity room to train. He still hoped Kakarotto would come back and would be ready for that day.  
  
It was just he knew, he couldn't be how they wanted him. No matter how he felt about his children, and his mate. He did think Trunks was wasting him time running a business when he could have maybe even become strong enough to surpass him. He snorted and watched the group now.  
  
Pan was attempting to bait his son into a date or some such human nonsense. He didn't really care about that. She was from a low class family but at least she wasn't a human. Bulma and Chi-Chi were hovering around the grill, giving directions to Yamcha who was attempting not to burn himself. Gohan and Kuririn were enjoying some sort of joke, they had looked his direction but a steady glare had sent their eyes elsewhere. 18, Marron, and Goten were off having a discussion about something. He guessed it was another attempt to get Goten's lazy ass to work. Satan was asleep, a steady line of drool on his chin. The last group was Bra, Videl, and Medon. Medon had his head down on the table and looked to be half-asleep. It wouldn't surprise Vegeta if he was. The boy had eaten enough to impress even him, and as he said this morning to Bulma.  
  
"I expect my plate to stay full until I toss it away woman!"  
  
Her response had been short and involved a finger, as she usually did when he made demands. Still he had gotten his wish, and probably eaten about 30 or so hearty servings. This led his attention back to Bulma at the grill. His thoughts turned again. How he wished Kakarotto would come back. Then he could maybe die as a sayai-jin should, in battle. He did not want to outlive this loud, obnoxious woman. If he did, he would be forced to fight a battle with himself, on feelings he never wanted to admit he had.  
  
Giving a slight snarl the Prince closed his eyes to get a short nap. He was relaxing, becoming more in touch with himself and the area around him when he felt it. His eyes snapped wide open as he quickly came to his feet, yelling a warning.  
  
"Woman, take the weak and get into the building!"   
  
His eyes darted around looking around to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Vegeta's warning made when the forces were over a mile away came to late. A beam of red energy burst through one of the walls surrounding the interior lawn, streaking straight through the group and nicking into Yamcha who stood by the grill.  
  
The man let out a scream of pain as he was turned around three times in midair before he landed in a pile by the wall, barely conscious and staring at the charred stump where his arm had been.  
  
Chi-Chi and Bulma both had screamed as soon as the beam had entered into the area, then both were hurrying towards Yamcha to get him into the house. Videl had grabbed Medon and hoisted him up, Bra getting his other arms to move him along, he was slowly waking up and going as well. Marron, Kuririn, and Satan had also begun moving towards the main building of CC.  
  
Vegeta, Goten, Trunks, Pan, 18, and Gohan now stood inside the empty grassy area. They all felt the energy approaching, no other attacks had lanced their way after the initial assault. Still they felt it, and the cracking exterior wall heralded its' arrival.  
  
Two flashes of golden light broke out at the same moment the wall fell inward. Trunks and Goten both becoming sheathed in energy as they transformed into Super Sayai-jins. Pan and Gohan both powered up as well. Her ki sending ripples along the ground and a cloud of dust. Gohan though his power had decreased still outclassed her, the raising of his ki causing the earth to buckle and shift around him. Vegeta did nothing yet, but wait. He wanted to see his enemy. Then he would let them watch as he tore them apart. 18 was of similar mind to Vegeta, not that she had any need to power up.  
  
The wall was gone and nothing but darkness existed outside the hole. The six stood there waiting, feeling the darkness all around them. Then the first wave came. Dozens of creatures began to pour through the hole. They all looked roughly the same. About six foot tall, and clad is spiked black mail made of some creatures skin. Each wielded a glowing edged weapon of some sort, that seemed to radiate its' own energy.  
  
The six warriors rushed to meet them, another golden aura joining the other two as Vegeta transformed. Then the black tide washed over them.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the Capsule Corporation the building itself was barely holding up to the strain of the battle outside. Bulma and Kuririn were desperately trying to keep Yamcha awake. The blast had severed his arm just below the elbow. It had also cauterized the wound and stopped bleeding, but he was going into shock. Satan was in one of the corners praying, and Bra, Marron, and Chi-Chi were trying to block the doors and windows. Medon just stood in the center of the room, holding tightly onto his mothers arm. He could feel the energy like it was right next to him, it invaded his senses and threatened to overwhelm him, his stomach felt like it had dropped into his knees. He wanted Videl to stay right here, with him, where it was safe.  
  
Videl figured her son was just panicking but she wanted to get her father closer to the ground. So she removed his hand, and began to make her way towards the other side of the room to get the old man. She was almost there, reaching out slender fingers to touch his shoulder. Then hell broke loose.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outsides things were not going well. They had fought off the initial assault without much problem. The creatures were incredibly strong, probably on a level with Freezer, but each of them had long ago passed that level, even Pan. The second tide was another story. They had been led in by a large creature that resembled a dragon, who had quickly begun to batter them all around like rag dolls. Vegeta had been forced to go into Super Sayai-jin Four and was now engaged in combat with it, he was not doing well.  
  
Gohan looked around, one hand pressed tightly to his side. This new wave was much stronger then the last as well. He had taken several hits and this latest one, a sharp thrust of one of their odd weapons, had really hurt him. Vegeta was in the air, firing blasts of energy at the apparent leader who was shrugging most of them off. Trunks and Goten were back to back, firing ki blasts in every direction and trying to keep the creatures away. 18 was also in the air, near Vegeta, fighting off two of the creatures. Then he saw Pan. She was face down on the ground, blood running from her forehead and one of the things stood over her. A glaive held high ready to plunge down into her back. There was no time for thought, only actions. In a blur or motion he was there, covering his daughter with his own body. He had no regrets, only a brief moment of sadness, as he felt the glowing sharp blade enter into his spine.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Videl had reached for Satan, the ceiling had exploded, sending chunks of concrete and steel falling into the building. Medon heard screaming and tried to clear the dust from his eyes. He saw a black shape, covered in robes descending from the ceiling. He saw Kuririn jump at it, first raised. Then Kuririn was flying the other way, crushing into the wall.   
  
The young man tried to yell out, but no sound passed his lips. Even he knew the little monk was already dead. His head turned sharply to one side and eyes staring sightlessly off. He did what anyone that had never seen such terrors would; he curled up into a ball and hid. The rubble still falling covering him up from prying eyes.   
  
In the chaos above him, Vecna landed. It knew those here had little power, and the one with the most had just died from his attack. It didn't matter though. Baal had ordered everyone slaughtered. He raised his hand and pointed at the group by the door, a black beam streaking form from his outstretched finger. The three women never even had time to scream.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Blood flew from Vegeta's lips at the daemon landed another blow. He was losing. With all his power and training he was still losing and this made him even angrier. Ki swirled around him as he flew backwards, trying to see how everyone else was doing, and if it was time to play the last card. Gohan was down and not moving, his daughter beneath him. 18 would be down soon. She had made an attack at Baal and was sent away with a swipe of his wing. The ridged edge had torn deep into her torso and her hand was the only thing keeping her intestines from falling out. He couldn't even see Goten and Trunks, having been buried under the hordes of beings that kept pouring through the hole.   
  
He had also seen the building collapse in on itself. They were all going to die. He almost smiled. This was the way a Sayai-jin deserved to die, in battle. Then he thought of his daughter, and his mate inside. Most likely already dead. No, he thought, they would not go alone.  
  
He blasted up, tearing through the dome overhead. Baal followed him, thinking his prey was fleeing. Then Vegeta stopped, spinning around and hurling both arms downwards. He had concentrated all his remaining energy in this, if it didn't work, it was the end.  
  
"Final Flash!"  
  
The golden beam of pure ki rocketed downwards, smashing into Baal and further. The rest of the dome over Capsule Corporation blew apart at the touch of the massive beam, which stuck the Earth and buried deep beneath the crust.  
  
Raising his hand he wiped blood from his lip, and waited for the smoke to clear. He hope, no...for the first time he prayed it had worked. As the smoke finally died down he saw they were not answered. Baal hovered where he had been previously, large scorch marking his crimson hide. Then the creature smiled and raising its' axe, it charged the Sayai-jin Prince.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beneath the rubble Medon shifted. A large piece had hit him on the head and stunned him. He had recovered quickly though and was surprised to find everything quiet. Shifting the weight off him he stood up. The Capsule Corporation was in shambles, metal and rock was everywhere. He called out, to his mother, his father, his sister, anyone.   
  
Then he found a hand sticking out of the rock. Crawling over to it he began to move the weights and saw what was beneath. The hand was no longer attached to its' owner, he actually couldn't even tell who the owner was, the body was so charred and burnt. From the purse besides it he could tell it had been Marron though. The girl had died instantly at the impact of Vecna's beam. Two more bodies lay in alcove. He didn't know who the second was at all, that would take more thought they he could put together at the moment. The third was Bra, the other two lay atop her, her face was smeared with blood. He reached down, trying to hold back his own tears and lightly touched her face. The teenager was rewarded with a soft groan. She was still alive, and probably safer here then anywhere else. So he moved a piece of rock back over here and headed towards the hole in the wall.  
  
He was almost to the hole, he could even see out. Then he saw her. Where she had been when the wall collapsed was his mother. Medon rushed over to her, lifting her head into his lap. Her eyes were closed and she was already pale. She had no evident wounds until he put his hand under her head and it came away red. One of the falling rocks had hit her. He didn't know what to do, so he just sat there. Slowly shaking her, mumbling under his breath.   
  
"Wake up, wake up,"  
  
It of course was for naught. He felt it building inside him, sorrow unlike any other. He didn't know what he had left, his mother, who had never abandoned him, was gone. He didn't know where his father was. Then he let lavender eyes wander out the hole and saw the battlefield. It seemed part of the fight still raged. That didn't matter to him, he saw the pile of his sister and father, he also saw the blood. From the angle he was at he could see the wound that had killed Gohan. A sharp instrument had been driven through his spine and into his vital organs. He had died instantly.  
  
The world shattered for the young boy at the moment. He felt himself falling, and blackness overtook him.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outside Vegeta was holding onto life. Baal had beaten him within an inch and would continue to let him get his footing again just to toy with him. He had lost the power for Super Sayai-jin Four long ago and was in his normal form. Everyone else was either dead or dying. His attack had failed. This wasn't a battle it was a slaughter. They didn't even know who their enemy was. Baal was raising up his axe now, the final blow was coming. Then the sound split the air. It was a scream.  
  
The remaining walls of the Capsule Corporation were sundered under the force of that scream, golden flames pouring outward, carried along the trails of electricity that crackled through the building.  
  
Baal turned, releasing the prince and letting him fall to the ground below. Vegeta hit hard, but he had seen it as he fell and the ki he felt now was incredible and still rising as the scream continued.  
  
It was a scream of pain and suffering unlike any other, even more so then when Gohan had watched the Cell Juniors beat his friends. It was torn from something buried so deep it wasn't thought to exist.  
  
Above the battlefield Baal watched the being emerging from the rubble. Golden flames crackled around their form, sparks of electrical energy whipping around them as well. Then they looked up to him. He looked into those eyes and was met with two green orbs of utter hate.  
  
Vegeta felt life leaving him, the last wound he had taken would be fatal without a senzu, which of course Karin didn't grow anymore. His last smile was covered with blood but was still there. The boy had it in him all along. He had done something none of them had ever done. He had skipped Stage One, he hadn't even though the demi-sayai-jin had enough power to ever reach the first level, much less go to the second. It really didn't matter though, even with that much power he was untrained and unfocused and angry. He wouldn't last much longer.  
  
Vegeta was totally right in his assumption. Medon was over the edge. The power rushing through him was making him light headed, plus he was raging. He took a step forward intending to rush and destroy this creature, to kill all of them, nothing else manner. Then he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, and a calming voice.   
  
"This isn't the time."  
  
He spun around, fist going to smash whomever this was attempting to stop him and he found himself held fast. Green eyes went up to meet black ones, and saw himself within them. Only one word came to mind as he saw the face of the one there.  
"Grandpa?"   
  
  



	3. Homecoming

DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor profit from Dragonball, or any works based on it. All characters associated with such are easily recognizable to those that care. If you do have a problem with this, I have no money!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is actually a revamped note. This chapter was originally published on May 15, 2001. It has been edited on September 4, 2001. Currently I'm shooting to end around Chapter 15. It may run long though and defiantly not short. Plotting has been done up until Chapter 13.   
  
Dragonball:After Earth   
By Blood Wraith  
  
Chapter 2:Homecoming  
  
  
Golden light flared within the ruined structure that had once been Capsule Corp. Silence had reigned for a few minutes before Medon's scream had broken it, announcing his rise to that which surpassed the Super Sayai-jin. Now the ground shook and explosions again ruled, the sound of the dying echoing from within.  
  
He wasn't sure where he had come from. Everyone had said he was gone after all, but still Medon knew was his grandfather was indeed here. Standing by his side, giving him the strength he needed to get through this moment. It was as if Goku's grip on his arm had touched his soul and calmed his heart. Now he watched Goku streaking around the sky, engaging the daemon lord, Baal, and the warlock, Vecna, in battle. He had given a single command to the boy before he had entered into Super Sayai-jin and began his attack, to gather the survivors.  
  
So Medon was doing now, picking through the rubble and seeking out any source of ki he could find. The remains of the legions that had made the first attack would come at him from time to time, repelling them was easy enough though. Most were having limbs or heads torn from their body with a single punch, a feat only Gohan and Vegeta had been accomplishing. The boy knew nothing of that though, he still felt a bit hazy, the rage and sadness of loss clinging tightly to him. He had his mission though and was not about to stop. Besides Bra's extremely low ki within the building he felt two more within the courtyard. He was coming up to the first one, having nearly dug down far enough when it came to him. A man's hand broke through the rubble reaching for something to help free itself. The demi-sayai-jin gripped to it tight, the feeling of another person, someone he knew lending him strength as he pulled them free.  
  
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The newcomer was completely beyond what either Baal or Vecna had expected resistance wise. He was in a form similar to what the two middle age men had taken. Golden hair and the crackling flame aura. He was putting up more of a fight then even Vegeta had however. They had no way of knowing what they faced.  
  
Son Goku had vanished seventeen years ago, upon the back of Shenron, the Eternal Dragon of Earth. They had bonded in that time, for all intents and purposes becoming one and the same being. Exploring this reality and the next. They had no intention of returning to Earth until the set time that Shenron had stated had passed. Things had changed however. Goku had felt the awakening of his grandson's power. Across untold distance of space and time he had felt it. So he had separated himself from the dragon, which though it had weakened him a bit, still left him with power far surpassing what he had known previously. He had used his Instantaneous Movement to return to Earth immediately and found the situation as it stood now. Goku knew who was alive and dead, he raged inside, but he knew they had no options now. They had to take those that were still alive and escape. He could win this fight he was sure of that, but not the one that was coming.  
  
Baal chose that moment to charge in. His great axe spinning a deadly arc as it came for the Sayai-jins head. It didn't even come close. The blade passed right through Goku's body as if he didn't exist. The extra image from his zanzoken vanishing at that moment as he came in from the side, his heavy boot slamming into the top of Baal's head, causing a curled horn to crack and break free. The daemon lords roar of pain was cut short as Goku's steel like fist crashed into his face a thousand times in the blink of an eye, sending him flying backwards from the force of the attack.  
  
Vecna had backed himself away from the battle as soon as he had gotten a good idea of the power this stranger possessed. It was mind boggling, as was the boy's below. The man had the slight advantage though, both over the teenager and it seemed Baal. The warlock decided it was time to change targets.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Medon was shifting the last bit of weight off Trunks when he heard the sound behind him. Grabbing the wounded man he curled his legs under him, kicking them both up and to the side as the lightning like bolt of energy tore into the ground where they had been.  
  
Their landing wasn't soft, bringing forth a grunt of pain from Trunks. Medon gave him a quick look over. He wasn't conscious and probably wouldn't be anytime soon. A large gash was across the side of his head, his lavender hair matted with blood. His other wounds were minor in comparison, but still nothing to laugh at. He didn't have a choice, he had to fight. So it was that the sixteen year old boy turned to face the warlock.  
  
Vecna watched the teenager turn around. He wouldn't play games with this one. His ki was rising again as soon as he had turned and seen his enemy. The daemon snarled and folded its' hands together before it, index fingers extended and pointing forward. This attack was a bit draining but well forth the effect; even with the power the boy was giving off he wouldn't survive. The warlocks energies shot up as crackling black light gathered itself around the extended claws, finally streaking towards Medon, a shrill wailing sound coming forth  
  
"Soul Reaver!"  
  
Medon didn't move. The moment he had turned things had changed. He had forgotten all about Trunks, all about Bra, and all about the third ki he still felt. It was all about this creature. This was the one that had killed his mother. That had killed Chi-Chi, Bulma, Marron, Satan, Yamcha, and Kuririn, this disgusting beast before him. The surrounding steel and stone took flight as gravity itself was altered in the area around him. Shocks of electrical energy shot themselves outward from his aura, tearing ruts into the ground around him. He had only seen what he was about to do twice. Once by Pan at a tournament and his Uncle Goten had shown him once. It didn't matter, he wouldn't fail. Medon brought his hands down to his side, cupping them together, feeling his ki building.   
  
"Kame..."  
  
The small blue ball formed quickly growing in size to where it was ready.   
  
"Hame.."  
  
The monster had fired its' attack, the black death was rushing towards him. He had no fear for it, only anger.  
  
"HA!!"  
  
The glowing blue beam burst forth from his hands as he threw them forward, striking Vecna's attack head-on. The Soul Reaver pushed against it, all the warlock's considerable might behind it, then it melted into nothing. The warlock's red eyes grew wide as he watched the blue energy rush up at him. If he thought of it he might have been able to erect a shield, it didn't come to him though. All he saw was onrushing oblivion, backed by emerald eyes with contained more hate then a species which thrived on it had ever seen.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Baal and Goku both halted as the warlocks tormented yell reached their ears and also at the sight of the huge glowing blue ball of energy that was ripping it's way up towards them. Medon's Kamehameha had torn through Vecna like he was paper, vaporizing the warlock without even slowing, now it hurtled upwards to where Goku and Baal battled without any signs of dissipating. Both of the combatants blurred from the spots they had been occupying, super speed movements taking them far from the beam. The Kamehameha continued, breaking free of Earth's orbit and continuing into space, not stopping until it hit the asteroid belt past Mars and struck a planet sized chunk of rock. The asteroid exploded at the impact, lighting up the night sky.  
  
Goku looked down at his grandson, that was why he had returned. The boy couldn't die yet, he had a destiny in front of him. Both he and Shenron had agreed upon that. Goku was just not one to take a passive role in the boys development. Baal on the other hand was worried for the first time today. The teenager had managed to generate enough energy to destroy Vecna and if it had made contact injure him. Also the one he was battling was giving him problems. He had only landed a light punch while he had been hit repeatedly. Perhaps reinforcements were in order. His long snout crinkled as rows of razor teeth were displayed.  
  
"You survive this time sayai-jin but it means nothing. Within a day, I shall be feasting upon your remains and we shall be well on our way to dominance of this world."  
  
Goku's only response was a smile and to straight his blue gi.He had no intentions of letting the creature go, they would have enough problems when the daemons decided the wait had been to long.  
  
"No, you made this into a fight. It ends for you here!"  
  
Golden flames flared up around the sayai-jin, crackles of electricity joining them to dance around his body. His hair lengthened stretching down his back, nearly to his knees, his brow sloping forward. When he had been restored to an adult he had again lost his tail, the Super Sayai-jin Three was once again his ultimate form. It didn't matter though, with the additional energy he had been granted by Shenron this form surpassed his power when he had been in Stage Four. The daemon was opening its' mouth to speak. Goku didn't wait, he sped forward, his fist stretching out towards Baal as his ki flared.  
  
"Ryu-Ken!"  
  
The golden flames surrounding Goku seemed to rush forth, condensing into the image of the dragon, Shenron. They slammed into Baal, tearing a hole through his chest, the daemon captains green blood exploding out his back with the impact. Then the ki-dragon twisted around, wrapping itself around his flailing limbs and squeezing as it burnt its' way through scaly flesh, until the managed pieces fell back to the earth.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Son Goku powered down his black hair standing up again as his ki level lowered, then he landed besides Medon. The boy was standing almost totally still, staring up to where Baal had been destroyed. His ki had lowered a bit, Goku could feel that and it had become evident. The golden locks of his hair, which had been standing straight upward in sharp spikes except for a single piece that had jabbed downward from his bangs, had softened. The piece in front had joined the rest and thought it still stood up and was gold the condensed feel was gone. Electrical jolts no longer danced around him. Goku gave his head a little shake in disbelief. At least he knew the boy was capable of the first form, even if not by choice.   
  
His breathing slowed even more and then Medon gave a slow shaky breath, turning to face his grandfather. Goku was starting to give a smile to the lad when the fist smashed into his jaw, knocking the surprised Sayai-jin from his feet and into a rock pile besides the unconscious Trunks.  
  
"Where were you when we needed you?! You could have saved everyone! You left though! You left all of us when we could have been a family! Now you have the balls to show up again! You think you can just save the day and it's all OK!"  
  
Of the many reactions he had expected, this was not one of them. He brought his hand up and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, a thick red smear his reward for the effort. Slowly Goku raised himself to his feet, his hands held up before him, palms outward towards his grandson. He had never been the genius at handling people that were honestly angry at him for good reason. Sure Chi-Chi had been before, but he could always smile and promise never to do it again and she'd just cook him dinner and take care of him, even if she grumbled some. Medon had a good point though, he could have come back earlier if he had tried, but it was a new adventure, new people to fight and train with. Even for all he did for the world, he still tended to do what he thought would be the most fun sometimes. This wasn't the time for it though, they had to get out of here. Baal's death had put out more energy then he had expected and back up would be along soon enough. He was also using the focus on the tasks at hand to stop him from realizing what had happened, what he had lost as well.  
  
"Medon I'm sorry. I really am, but we don't have time for this now. We have to get out of here, this isn't the time to fight what's coming yet."  
  
It was the wrong choice of words. He knew that as soon as the boy's hair changed again and his ki shot upwards. It seemed the transformations were based fully on his state of mind, and he was getting angry again.   
  
"Don't have time? What the hell else are we going to do? There is no where to hide! Everyone is dead! EVERYONE!"  
  
"No..they aren't. Feel Medon, and save your sister. Save Pan."  
  
The mention of his sister's name was like a drought of cool water. When the daemons were dead he needed a focus for his anger, Goku had been it. He knew everyone was incredibly hurt when Goku had vanished, they didn't try to show it but it was evident, so he had focused on his savior. His sister was alive though, he knew that now, he could feel her ki, even if it was weak. Gold gave way to ebony, and emerald eyes faded back to lavender as he tore into a pile of rocks seeking her.  
  
Goku sighed and gave a sad smile as he checked on Trunks. He hated having to use that to calm Medon down, but they really had to get away right now. He estimated what they had left at maybe, a day and a half. It was enough time for what he had planned. Trunks was slowly stirring, he would be awake and able to perform soon.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
For all he had seen in his days, the inside of the Capsule Corp. still nearly caused the sayai-jin's stomach to turn. The first sight he was greeted with was Satan and Videl. Satan had died from the same thing that had killed Videl, the falling rock and steel of the structure. A metal support beam had come down and crushed into his head, popping it like a rotten melon and covering the area around him with skull fragments and gore. Videl had been laid out a few feet to the side of her father, he hands folded atop her. The garish fatal wound on the back of her head wasn't visible, if not for the red stain that had continued to spread despite Medon's placement of her.  
  
Goku continued in further, his goal was only to find Bra at this point, but he continued to look around, hoping his friends hadn't suffered. He had found Kuririn just before he entered. The little monk had died instantly from the bone jarring impact of Vecna's fist to the side of his head. Yamcha and Bulma were the next two he found. Yamcha had actually died before the roof had fallen, the shock of Baal's beam that severed his arm having caused his heart to stop. The falling rock had also crushed Bulma. The majority of the falling roof had come down atop her, only her head and one arm were still visible, the rest having been turned to goo beneath the debris. Reaching down Goku shut her eyes and smoothed out her faded hair, she had been his first friend, she hadn't deserved this, none of them had.   
  
Finally he reached the pile of rubble which Medon had hidden Bra in, along with the last two bodies. Moving the huge rock aside he looked within and felt his breath caught in his throat. He had to assume the smaller of the two bodies was Marron, there was no one else it could have been but it was the sheer damage done to the other charred and burnt corpse. It had been Chi-Chi. Vecna's attack had struck Marron directly, the heat ray passing through her to kill his wife. Closing his eyes tight, Goku reached past the still form of his wife to take hold of Bra and pull her out of the hole, then let the rock fall back into place. He didn't want to see anymore.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trunks sighed and ran his hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the dull throb it sent through his skull. He had never thought anything like this was possible, much less that it would even occur. His father had always told him to be strong, he was of royal blood after all, but he still felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he looked around him. While Goku was inside he and Medon had dug out everyone and lined them up while Pan had slowly awoken. Vegeta, Goten, Gohan, and 18, they had all given their lives today, for nothing. Even that wasn't enough to bring the tears to him, what broke Trunks heart was when he looked over to the two siblings. Pan held her brother like one would a small child, one hand smoothing his ruffled hair as he held her around the waist, sobbing as he let out all the horrors he had seen today, the lines of blood and dirt on her own face being washed away in her own tears.  
  
He wiped his face and looked over to the main structure or what was left of it. Goku was emerging now, helping an unsteady Bra stumble out to join them. The knowledge that his sister had survived eased Trunks a bit, but not much. He loved Bra, but they had never been as close as many siblings, most notably Goten and Gohan, or Pan and Medon. Goku helped her into a seat besides Trunks, giving her arm a light squeeze as he went over to his two grandchildren.  
  
Pan looked up when she felt the strong hand touch her cheek, despite it all, a smile spreading across her tear covered face. She removed her hand from her brothers back, and grabbed tight to the hand of her grandfather, squeezing it with all her might, assuring both of them he was real.  
  
"Grandpa.."  
  
Goku gave a small nod and another squeeze of her hand, a small smile on his face. He had missed her, and no matter what he was glad she was here. Part of him though, would never forgive himself for allowing these tears to come to the faces of his grandchildren. Still holding her hand he focused within himself, his mind reaching out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The North Kaiosamma's head jerked up from his nap as he felt the telepathic touch. His antenna stood straight out, it was incredibly faint, almost like a veil had been pulled between him and wherever it was coming from.   
  
"Goku?"  
  
He stood there, still as a statue for a few minutes, then nodded, sending his agreement to the proposal his one-time student had come up with. Normally he would never do something this drastic, but he was Kaiosamma of the Northern Galaxy and it looked like it would be the first to be destroyed.   
  
With a sad sigh he looked over to the small insect that was hovering about, looking at him curiously. The halo that floated above his apprentices head a strong reminder of what Goku had cost them all in the past, there was no choice now though.  
  
"Gregory, I need you to take a message to Demon King,Lord Enma."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The group had moved into another part of the structure that had only been lightly damaged. It was not worth living at all but would provide some shelter until Goku's plan could go into effect. Medon had managed to cry himself to sleep, and Bra's injuries had worn her out enough she to was curled into a ball, resting. Pan, Trunks, and Goku sat in the dark, discussing their best course of action. Trunks looked up from his attempt to clean the thick black crust of the daemon warriors blood from his blade.  
  
"Alright, I understand part of the plan. The part I don't is why are you used Medon for this? I mean don't get me wrong, I like the kid, but he's not a fighter."  
  
Goku gave a short nod, he understood Trunks point, but he was putting complete faith in his course of action. They honestly had no choice at this point.  
  
"Your right, but he will be. You two are going to make sure of that."  
  
One of Pan's eyebrows arched at the comment, she didn't like the sound of that. If they were to help teach Medon anything it meant Goku had something else up his sleeve for himself.  
  
"Why us? I'm pretty good and all, and Trunks is exceptional, but you could teach him more then both of us combined. We also don't have time for any of this. You even said that more of those things, and stronger ones mind you, will be here within a day."  
  
"Correct, but there is a place you can get him more then enough training in that time period. The Room of Spirit and Time on Kami's Lookout."  
  
Trunks liked the suggestion but he saw a few problems. The room had previously been destroyed almost totally, including the exit, by Piccolo while Gotenks had battled against Majinn Buu. Though the Dragonballs had been used to repair the room later on, two people was still the maximum in it. How could he and Pan both teach Medon.  
  
"You'll take turns, after one had taught all the basic techniques and styles they know, you'll flip off."  
  
Pan gave a snort at the follow up. When it came to anything besides fighting and food, Goku tended to be a little dense, on those subjects though he almost would seem to read minds at times.  
  
"While one of you is teaching him, the other will keep a watch with me. I'm also going to take God away from here and to New Namek if he's still alive."  
  
"Grandpa....I know you have faith in us, and in Medon, but, honestly, there is no way we can teach him anything to make him that more powerful in a year. You seem to think he'll be able to do more then you."  
  
The Sayai-jin looked at her a moment, then he did something none of them thought they would ever see again. He smiled and winked. It was something so uniquely Goku, it put her at ease. The stories told by the others had said he was the same way before the battle with Cell.  
  
Pan only shook her head and returned the smile, giving Trunks a short pat on the knee hoping to install him with the same confidence she now felt. They had lost a battle, but not the war.   
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The herald stepped into the throne room after a minute of hesitation. The daemon never liked reporting to his lordship, and bad news could be dangerous at times. The creature snarled to itself and moved forward, delay could be just the same, its' steps took it across the skulls of thousands of creatures from as many planets that served as the main walk.  
  
The massive form in the throne shifted at it's minions approach. The shadows that covered the alcove where the beast sat were lit by the large glowing red orbs that awaited the announcement of victory.  
  
"M..Master, Lord Baal and Lord Vecna have been defeated as has their entire raiding force of ten-thousand warriors."  
  
Silenced reigned for what seemed like hours to the doomed herald, then the deep grating voice echoed from the darkness.  
  
"Who destroyed them and how many?"  
  
"We do not know your Lordship. Lord Vecna's link was broken before firm details could be sorted out, two large power sources were detected how.."  
  
The herald didn't even finish its' words before the pain engulfed it. The goat like creature was twisted over by agony, pressure slowing building up within it. It felt it's body twisted and torn as it's muscles and tendons tore free from it's bones and then finally from it's body, leaving an unrecognizable puddle on the floor.  
  
"Lord Mephiston...take your full legion."  
  
To the side of the throne the daemon lord nodded and gave a short bow before leaving the raised platform that Asmodius sat upon and heading for the exit of the great chamber.  
  
Mephiston smiled to himself as he left the throne room. He had been waiting for the orders to go to Earth. It had been his idea to invade it after all. Mephiston was possibly the most powerful being within his dimension save Lord Asmodius himself and a few select others, but strength wasn't everything. His was a race of conquerors and tormenters of worlds without end. They had destroyed or taken over every race and planet in this dimension and had expanded to almost a dozen others. Their current choice though was different; Mephiston had been using various spells and energy manipulation techniques to watch it for years, even after a large power had attracted his attention. The power in question had been Cell, his perfect form generating enough energy to reach between realities. He had seen the Z-Warriors gather and battle Cell, and the trials that came after.  
  
It had amused him and at that time he had decided this was to be the next dimension they occupied. One warrior had worried him however, but when Son Goku left upon the back of Shenron he knew their time would come soon. They just had to wait for the rest to grow soft with peace. The current situation was all together unexpected. The daemon lord was the magistrate and a lord commander of all the armies of the dimension though, he would not be beaten by a monkey. He already had a plan in mind. They would occupy this world and in the process learn the secret of the Dragonballs, from one of these annoying creatures. Then his true goal would be within reach.  
  
The seven foot tall daemon stopped his path before the portal that accessed the alternate dimension. The Northern Continent was visible through, the sky black from the initial assault of the first legion. The thin smile across his face grew further, razor sharp white teeth gleaming in the odd light shed by the portal.   
  
"Welcome home Son Goku, let us see if we can make it more enjoyable for you."  



	4. Black Dawn

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I still don't own any of the characters from DBZ. Other characters contained here-in are mine, please do not use them without permission. This is strictly a non-profit piece of work, and I don't have any money anyway.  
  
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
  
Chapter 3:Black Dawn  
  
  
The great armies of the Western Continent had dug great trenches in preparation, now they waited. Another portal had opened just south of the Western Capital in the last four hours, the red pulsing oval slowly bleeding outward, turning the sky red for nearly a mile. The well-trained military force had been dispatched almost immediately and now they were fortified and waiting.   
  
Major Perkins walked the line, giving encouraging words to his men, while looking out towards the horizon through his binoculars. So it was, that he was the first to see the on-coming tide of darkness that poured across the land towards them.  
  
At a single command the daemon warriors had flowed forth from the portal like locusts, swarming northward towards this pocket of resistance. The Northern Continent had been completely destroyed by Baal and his legions, this one would be no different.  
  
Perkins tossed his binoculars aside and shouted orders to his Lieutenants, information being passed backwards along the chain of command. The tides of darkness grew even closer, coming within nearly two hundred meters before the order to fire was given by the general near the rear of the force.  
  
The area filled with the sounds and sight of muzzle flashes and artillery fire as the front ranks opened fire on the advancing daemon forces. For a minute nothing happened then a warrior fell, then a second. Nearly fifty of the advancing army going down under the hail of bullets and the tank shells that crashed into their ranks. Though fast and strong, the lowly daemon warriors were still susceptible to injury from enough force. Fifty might as well have been one to the dent it made into the mass of the daemons though.  
  
Perkins turned to yell the order for the retreat to bring his men back to let the bombers come in and lay down napalm. Then the wave smashed into the front line of his troops. Five-hundred thousand brave men and woman had gathered outside the Western Capital to defend their friends and families. Over the next three hours of battle, every single one of them, from the lowliest private to the highest ranking general, would fight, and they would die.  
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On the edge of God's Lookout, Son Goku cursed as he felt the massive ki as the horde of creatures entered into the world. It was to soon, they weren't even close to being ready yet. Medon and Trunks had only entered into the Room of Spirit and Time within the last two hours. They had most likely grown in power substantially since then but it wouldn't be enough yet.  
  
Pan watched her grandfather as he paced the edge of the Lookout. She really didn't know what to say to him. This was the great Goku, he had always had a plan, a way to win. Even this time he had come up with something. She just wasn't sure it was enough. After everyone had taken a brief rest, he had used his Instantaneous Movement technique to transport them all to the home of God. From there he had taken, Dende, Kami-sennin of Earth and Bra to New Namek for safety and to warn them of the current danger. If it wasn't stopped here on Earth it would most likely spread further and eventually reach the peace loving Namekians. He had also given Dende instructions to have someone teach Bra to manipulate her ki to heal others, without the precious senzu beans any way to heal their wounds would be vital. All this passed through her mind, even as she continued her training, she would get her own time within the room, but she still intended to make every moment count.   
  
The Sayai-jin gave a sigh and sat himself down. Worrying would do no good. They had little choice but to continue to prepare and be ready when their chance came. The daemon warriors themselves were actually quite weak, even the weapons the army was wielding in significant numbers or striking the right places would be able to destroy them. Goku had no illusions that the humans had any chance of winning, but they would hold. Maybe it would be long enough for their hopes to prove true. Pushing aside all worries he let his focus fall within himself, pushing away the overwhelming sensation of the dark ki that hovered across the Northern Continent and now washed across the Western. Searching for three specific ki's, powerful warriors who would be of great aid in the coming conflict.  
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The five assassins had gathered at the call of their dark master. Mephiston gathered them only rarely and never all at once, so when the call at came, there had been no delay.  
  
The daemon lord stepped back through the portal into the dark realm that was his home. He had entered into the Other World briefly to give a few commands to his legions and start the assault upon the Western Continent. He had send his weakest minions but felt them sufficient for the task at hand. Now Mephiston let glowing red eyes wander over his most powerful tools. He had chosen these five upon their births, carefully bred, to be his personal assassins. Warriors who would strike when he said, whom he said, with absolute loyalty. Ranaghar, Irruit, Kale, and the twin daemonesses, his personal favorites, Zilvra and Laele.   
  
Ranaghar had been taught personally my Mephiston. One of the least powerful of the group, but was a tactician without equal, as well as having developed his ability to manipulate energy for external and internal uses to an art. He and Irruit were the only pure daemons of the group. Nearly six and a half feet tall his dark grey skin was covered by a thin scaled hide. His face almost man-like except for the lack of a nose, serpent eyes, and the row of spines that crested from his forehead and down his spine.   
  
Irruit was the sadist of the group. She was the weakest of Mephiston's assassins but made up for it with speed and pure ferocity. Like most female daemons her skin was a deep red, the scales being nearly imperceptible. Black hair fell to her mid-back, two ivory horns curling out from the sides of her head. Her armor consisted of patches of steel held on by thin leather straps. It served to protect her as much as to distract, male daemons were known for their lusts.   
  
Mephiston snorted at the last thought, she had tried her charms upon him once and a lingering scar across her throat was the painful reminder of who was the master. The thought passed though as his gaze shifted to the next of his warriors, Kale. Kale was undisputedly the strongest in pure brute strength of his group. Mephiston had made one of his soldiers breed with a race of fire giants they had conquered a few hundred years before. The result was the eighteen foot beast who stood here now. Kale's skin was more akin to volcanic rock then anything else, pitch black and possessing an inner heat, that was obvious to any that stood to close. He also wasn't to good at jobs that required stealth, preferring to destroy everything on the way to his target, and then tear it's head off. He made an excellent distraction.  
  
The twins, Zilvra and Laele, were Mephiston's pride and joy. They had been an experiment. A breeding with an odd race of pacifists they had taken as slaves. He forgot what they were called, so insignificant were they, but for those that forsook battle, they had been incredibly strong of body and mind. So it was for Zilvra and Laele, they were a perfect meld of the two races. Possessing strength and speed beyond the normal limits of either race. They were the most powerful of his group, and when together in battle, in his mind, unstoppable.  
They were the most human appearing of the group as well. Both stood just under six foot tall, their skin marble like in it's color, though far stronger. Gracefully pointed ears ended in thick manes of hair the hung to their shoulders. Zilvra's ebony a trait of her daemon blood, while Laele had taken after their mother's side, her hair being a rich red. Their horns were almost non-existent, small ridges on their forehead the only evidence of them. Their armor was more practical then Irruit's. The back being completely open to allow their wings to grow as needed, the rest of it consisted of black leather with a backing of the same steel that was used for the daemon weapons. The material covered their arms and upper torso. It also made up their thigh high boots and the thin piece that made up their pants, which seemed more like the bottom of a bathing suit to allow full access of leg movements. Curving metal plates folded over both their shoulders and their forearms, the latter possessing retractable blades sheathed within.  
  
The magistrate smiled again and gave a nod. Yes, these five would be more then enough for the current assignment. He could most likely send less, but he wanted this done flawlessly, no more mistakes would be allowed.  
  
"My forces now assault the pitiful armies of the humans upon their western front. I want you to go into the other world and observe the battle, while you do so, use your spells of detection, and look for energies that far surpasses those of the humans waging war. When you detect them, your mission is quite simple. Wipe them out. Do so as you like, but do not fail me."  
  
The daemon flipped his hand over, presenting it before Zilvra and Laele, as an image of two men appeared within it. One appeared to be middle age, the other just entering into manhood.   
  
"These are your targets. Forget all others and concentrate on these two if they make their presence known. The boy's power is raw and unfocused, he should be little challenge to you. The man is another story, but again, against the two of you, he should be an easy victim."  
  
Zilvra leaned over the examine the image, her large red eyes taking it in before she gave a brief nod, the corner of her lips curling up to reveal white teeth and two curved fangs.  
  
"At your command master, we'll bring back the heads of these two before these three can even find their targets."  
  
The other daemoness gave a pout and pushed her sister lightly as she moved towards the portal.   
  
"It really is a shame though. The younger one is pretty damn cute. Ah well, maybe we can have some fun with him before we have to splatter him across the scenery."  
  
She gave a half-sigh almost in disappointment and stepped through the pulsing void that led to the other world.  
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Trunks gave a muttered swear and jumped to the side as a golden ray of ki shot by him. The beam ki the white ground within the Room of Spirit and Time, and reflected off like it had hit a mirror, sloping around in the air and coming back at him.  
  
The demi-Sayai-jin had to hand it to the kid, he was an incredibly fast learner. They had been in here only a few months from his estimation of time, and Medon had got enough control of his energy that he could not only bend the beam which wasn't all that hard, but stop it from exploding on impact. Trunks couldn't help but smile as he dodged the beam again and threw his hand out, firing one of his own into it, causing both beams to explode releasing their gathered energy.  
  
Almost immediately he found himself on the defensive, Medon coming through the smoke of the explosion and assaulting him with a series of punches and kicks faster then the human eye could follow. Trunks accepted the assault, blocking or dodging each one, then waited until he found his opening and jabbed forward with his elbow, connecting into the young man's face. He extended his arm then his fist also landing a blow, before his right foot came up in a sweeping kick that send the other man flying backwards through the air, until he hit the flat landscape, bouncing several times before he caught himself.  
  
"I told you. Stop concentrating on attack. Defense is where a battle is won, you have the speed and strength to excel in it if you only focus."  
  
A low groan and a passing of his hand to wipe the thin line of blood from his nose was Medon's only response. Trunks had come in with him first because between he and Pan, Trunks was the more experienced combatant and thus could teach all the basics to Medon quicker. He had picked up on attacking, feinting, and the like quite easily. It was defense he had a severe weakness in. He was making up for most of it with pure speed and determination; Trunks kept showing him though it wasn't enough.  
  
"Damnit Trunks! I'm trying, but you find holes that as far as I can tell don't exist."  
  
"Then you have to be able to tell. You have to learn to predict your enemies movements Medon. That is where the battle is won. You and I don't have much more time together. A few more days in here and it's time to flip for your next teacher. He won't stand for the mistakes, what he's going to teach you, you HAVE to learn. It probably will be the key to victory."  
  
Medon gave a sigh and nodded his head to let Trunks knew he understood. Goku had pounded in his head before he went into the room with Trunks, that he was going to get three teachers before the year inside was up. He also said that he had to help Trunks and Pan advance their own skills as much as his own, and not to miss a single lesson. There was no room for mistakes. Then of course the seriousness of the situation had almost flown away as his grandfather had suddenly gotten an odd look on his face and proclaimed loudly that he was hungry.  
  
He gave a small laugh and pushed himself back up to his feet. He and Trunks had been in here almost three months. He had managed to learn the basics of combat and ki control, and a few more techniques. Pan was supposed to teach him more advanced maneuvers and tactics when she came in with him at the nine month mark. He still didn't know who this mystery teacher he was suppose to have for the fourth to ninth month was suppose to be, but he planned on being fully prepared for it.  
  
"Know what Trunks? Keep going this easy on me and I won't put in a good word with my sister for you."  
  
Grinning Medon rushed back in at this teacher, stopping both Trunks mumbled response and wiping away the look of surprise on his face at the remark. The younger man landing several stinging hits as Trunks Brief's wondered, and for the first time in his life, actually thought about Pan.  
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High above the Western Capital, Chaozu and Tenshinhan, watched the battle waging between the daemon army and the forces of the Western Continent. The current winner was obvious. The daemons had pushed the opposing force back almost five miles and continued to advance upon them. Mercilessly slaying anyone that got their hands upon.  
  
Tenshinhan looked over to his life-long friend. A single daemon warrior had attacked them during the initial assault. He had severely wounded Chaozu and barely been beaten by Tenshinhan after several hours of battle. Chaozu was using all his energy just to float besides his friend, one hand holding his arm tightly where the daemons glowing blade has nearly severed it.  
  
He reached out and put his arm around his friend, holding him steady. A reassuring nod give to the smaller man's smile and thanks. He had to give aid to the army below, but not with Chaozu like this.  
  
"Listen, I want you to go down into the Capital and get to a hospital. I'm going to go do what I can. I'm not going to just stand by and watch this all go to hell."  
  
"But Tenshinhan, I can still help. Let me come with you!"  
  
Tenshinhan shook his head and let go of Chaozu, giving him a moment to steady himself.   
"No...not this time. This part of fate is mine alone."  
  
He looked at his best friend again. Giving him a soft pat on the shoulder. Deep inside he knew they would not meet again.   
  
White ki flared up around Tenshinhan as he turned and flew towards the battlefield. His green cloak torn free by the wind, and slowly falling towards the ground below, long after he was gone.  
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All five of them felt the appearance of a large ki, and it was heading for the field of battle before them. Irruit smiled and stood from the chunk of rubble she had made herself comfortable in. This one was quite weak and would posse little challenge to her, but maybe it would give her a spot of fun. The other they had detected was going the other direction, but it wasn't even worth her time.  
  
The giant Kale rose as well. He knew Irruit was going after the stronger of the two, but he had no craving for sport, only carnage. The weaker one and whatever was surrounding it would provide that just fine.  
  
The two daemons streaked out from the small area of ruins they had chosen to set up base in. Their dark energies streaming across the sky behind them, as they rushed towards the Western Capital, two targets firmly in their senses.  
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Both Pan and Goku nearly jumped to their feet when they felt the two energies rise up. Goku had just managed to locate Tenshinhan and Chaozu when the other two struck his senses, they had most likely felt them as well. The Sayai-jin was on his feet without a second though as he rushed for the edge of the Lookout.  
  
The ki though strong was unstable, at least the feeling of it was. The portals blurred his ability to focus fully on it. He would have to fly there, teleportation wouldn't be an option.  
  
"Pan! Get Trunks out of the room and tell him to follow me as soon as he can. I'm not sure when I'll be back. At the right time you enter into the room as well and train with Medon. We'll be needing both of you."  
  
Then Son Goku stepped off the edge of the lookout upon which sat God's Palace. His ki flaring up as he rushed towards the horizon and the black hordes that still pushed onwards. Hoping to arrive in time to save his friend's life.  
  
Son Pan stood still a moment longer, watching her grandfathers form jet across the sky until it was out of site. Vanished into the black sky, despite the sun's best attempts to shine upon the land. She gave a sad sigh as she turned away to get Trunks out of the room and Medon's next teach in there. Turning away from the last dawn that she would know upon the planet of her birth.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Ascension

Dragonball: After Earth  
By Blood Wraith  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Ascension  
  
  
  
His aura of white ki crackling around him, Tenshinhan flew low over the battlefield. The army of the Western Continent had done all it could, but it had been far to little. The battle had been short, but incredibly fierce. The daemon legions pushing the defenders back into the Western Capital within the first few hours of conflict. Now they were laying siege to the city, slowly destroying both the soldiers and the citizens who had not been able to evacuate, the order having been given when the battle was decided to have been lost.  
  
He knew there was very little he could do, but he hoped he could help bolster the left flank which was currently in danger of collapsing completely and give more time for the innocent people that were about to be caught in the battle to escape.  
  
Tenshinhan stopped to hover, his keen eyes attempting to find the spot where a barrage of ki bolts would cause the most damage and chaos in the daemon ranks. It seemed almost anywhere would work, no specific order or commanders visible in the black tide that continued to roll forward.   
  
He was raising his hands to begin his assault when he felt the energy, it was a dark ki, easily many times his own, and coming straight towards him. Tenshinhan was easily one of the most powerful humans on the planet, but he barely had time to look up before Irruit was upon him.  
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Son Pan watched Trunks as he prepared to follow after Goku. He had been in the Room of Spirit and Time with Medon for about six hours, which she had estimated to be roughly three months of time for those within it's confines. He hadn't changed as much as she expected. All the stories she had heard of the room, said those that emerged from within were usually drastically different then when they went in. She figured maybe it was the shorter period of time he spent in there, she would experience it herself soon enough.  
  
Outwardly Pan's observations were quite right. Trunks had changed little. Appearance meant little though, inside the demi-sayai-jin had indeed had a change of heart. Before the events of the last day had occurred, Trunks had simply lived life. His goals the same as everyone else, to make some money, live comfortably, and to someday have a family of his own. The last part had been put on hold for his career though; he was still single even though he was over forty. While in the room, training Medon, he had begun to think on what his options were now. Even if they defeated the creatures that had attacked the Earth, what would be left? One entire continent and all it's people were gone. His friends, and some of his family were also gone. Life wouldn't be anything like it was before; it would almost be like starting over again.  
  
He had made the choice, if he survived this, he would indeed start over, and make something with his life this time. Business wasn't everything; happiness was paramount. Living life to it's fullest, would be what drove him. He gave a sad smile as he pulled on the black leather trench coat he had brought with him, a special slit in the back to hold his sword, maybe he was just having a midlife crisis. It didn't matter though, this was the way it would be.   
  
His gaze wandered over to Pan as he pulled on his black boots and gloves, the outfit he was wearing underneath the coat, his father's old suit of Sayai-jin armor, that he had worn during the Cell Games, any edge or protection would help. He had modified the armor a bit while within the Room to provide a bit more protection over the black body suit it covered. He hoped this would be over before she came out of the Room of Spirit and Time. She didn't need anymore grief or pain. She too had lost both her parents, and Goku had some crazy scheme involving her brother in mind. She met his eyes then and smiled, and he saw the hope reflected in that smile and in the depths of her dark eyes, and he knew he couldn't fail.  
  
"I'm going after Goku now. Your suppose to enter the room in twelve hours, that should give Medon enough time with his current instructor, and then the two of you three months together."  
  
Pan gave a nod, and then held out her hand to Trunks. Her slender fingers clasping twice, indicating for him to take it. She didn't know what he or her grandfather were going to face, she had faith in them though to come back, but she needed contact with someone before she was alone here with her thoughts.  
  
Trunks took the young woman's hand, squeezing it tight with his own., offering her a smile to bolster her spirit as she had his own.  
  
"Good luck Trunks, when you see him, let him know you both need to come back to us."  
  
He nodded, then reluctantly released her hand. Then he sighed and dashed to the edge of God's Lookout. He had wasted too much time already, Goku had left nearly 30 minutes ago, and hell had probably already broken loose upon the surface.  
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Son Goku rushed across the surface of the Earth. He had felt Tenshinhan's ki begin to fluctuate which meant he most likely was engaged in combat. Normally he would use his Instantaneous Movement to get there, but the dark ki that Tenshinhan's opponent was radiating was blurring his ability to sense energy in that region and he couldn't get a good enough lock on it to use the technique.   
  
Gritting his teeth, the sayai-jin focused more of his energy into his flight speed, the ocean beneath him spraying high into the air at the force of his passage.   
  
He was almost to the edge of the Western Continent when the attack came. A purple ball of ki hurled straight into his path, his training and reflexes the only thing that allowed him to dodge under it in time.  
  
Goku threw his arms out to stop his forward momentum, looking upward to his attackers. Two surprisingly attractive females floated down from the clouds above him, kept aloft upon sets of massive wings. The darker haired of the two, had wings that seemed akin to Baal's, almost bat-like in their appearance. The other, stood out even more, beyond her bright red hair, her wings were made up of feathers like an angel, but the feathers were the color of a raven's coat. Despite their appearance though, Goku knew he was in trouble. They both were radiating massive amounts of ki, close to his level. If they were holding back at all, he would indeed have a problem.   
  
Zilvra smiled, flashing white teeth and elongated canines. When Irruit and Kale had departed to attack the two-ki sources they had felt, their target's energy had popped up almost immediately. He most likely was attempting to rescue his friends. It wasn't going to happen.  
  
"Well Laele, this must be the famous Son Goku, that Mephiston kept talking about. Not much to look at is he?"  
  
Her sister gave a half shrug and wrinkled her pert nose up at the remark. She was actually hoping to run into the younger of the two men, as she had said previously, she found that one attractive and figured it would be more amusing then a simple fight.  
  
"Who cares what he looks like? Let's just get this over with. I don't even see what the big deal is. His energy is ridiculously low, you can probably take him yourself."  
  
"Hmmm, your right. Well why don't you just sit back and let me have a bit of fun then? You can play with the next one."  
  
Zilvra vanished from her sister's side then, her immediate attack catching Goku off guard, as he boot slammed into the back of his head. Her body twisting in mid-air as he knee came around to impact into the sayai-jin's stomach, knocking the breath from his body and sending him flying up into the air with the force of the blow.  
  
The daemoness laughed and gave pursuit, great wings flapping to send her up after her target. She blurred out again intending to appear above him, but when she arrived at where he should have been, he had simply vanished.  
  
Her surprise was complete when Goku grabbed her ankle, viciously yanking her downward to connect with his knee as it came up to meet her. The blow stunned her for a split second, during which time he spun her around and tossed her downwards towards the Earth, a golden bolt of ki following after her.  
  
Her wings flared outward stopped her fall as her arms were thrown up over her face, the golden energy blast slamming into her and causing her to lose more altitude. She snarled and amber eyes went back up to her opponent. Golden flames now danced around his body without scorching his blue gi, his black hair standing up and having taken on the same golden shade. It was at that point Zilvra decided this might not be as easy as she had initially thought.  
  
Goku only smiled as he charged back in at her, his golden aura flaring as blue sparks of electricity leaped up into it. She was strong, he had to give her that. Then again, he had always loved a challenge.  
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He was dying. Chaozu was sure of that by this point. At Tenshinhan's command he had make a direct path for the hospital within the Western Capital in hopes they could stop the flow of blood from his injured arm and help restore him to health. That was before the black skinned giant had attacked him from out of nowhere. Now Chaozu lay within the rubble that had been the hospital, a strong backhand followed by a ki blast had sent him into the structure and leveled it.  
The little warrior was sure most of his ribs were broken, as was one leg and the right side of his face has been crushed in by the giant's fist, his white skin smeared with his own blood.  
  
Chaozu felt tears welling up inside him. He wished he was stronger, and then he could help Tenshinhan. All he amounted to was hindering the man, during the battle with the daemon Tenshinhan had been forced to take several hits to protect him. Now at least, when this beast killed him, his friend would be free to fight to his fullest without being held back by concern.  
  
The giant, Kale landed amongst the stone and steel. One large hand reaching down to pick up the small man by the head, huge fingers easily wrapping around his entire skull. This one had been no challenge, a normal human could have put up as much of a fight. He gave a shrug, at least he was in the heart of the city now, there was sure to be more amusement. He didn't even look at Chaozu as he began to squeeze, feeling flesh and bone give way under his monstrous strength.  
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Tenshinhan was completely on the defensive. Irruit had attacked him without warning or mercy. Now she had him darting through a forest outside the Capital in hopes of losing her, while she fired freezing cold blasts of energy behind him, causing everything they hit to instantly freeze over. They had been at this for almost an hour now, and she showed no signs of letting up, while Tenshinhan was beginning to tire.  
  
He was just coming around a large redwood; another of her killing bolts slamming into the ground where he had just flown by when he felt Chaozu's energy vanish. His friend's ki had been weak but there, and now it was gone. Snuffed out in the span of a few seconds.  
  
The warrior stopped dead in his tracks, running was over. His best friend, his companion for over three decades was gone. The Dragonballs were gone as well, he would not be coming back this time. Tenshinhan screamed in rage, his ki flaring up around him as he waited for the daemoness to come to him. He didn't care if he died at this point, but he would take her with him.  
  
Irruit knew her target had stopped running; she had grown bored of this game a while ago and was glad it was time to end it. She stopped right before Tenshinhan, drawing a glowing red blade from its sheath upon her hip.  
  
"Done running meat?"  
  
His response was not in words but in action. Tenshinhan had his hands in the shape of a triangle before him and was waiting for her to come into view. As soon as she did he focused, his very life energy going in the gap between his fingers, the image of her within rushing towards him.  
  
"Kikouhou!"  
  
The fantastically powerful energy blast hit Irruit full on, sending her hurtling backwards through several ancient trees that populated the forest. She lay still for a moment, calculating the power of the male she faced and the strength of the attack he had just unleashed upon her. It was far to strong for one of his level, these human's were a tricky lot, and she would kill him slow for that.  
  
The daemoness was just beginning to rise again when Tenshinhan unleashed another Kikouhou upon her. This one sending her diagonally into the ground, several more of the deadly blast following. He was channeling his life force into the blast without care now. He just wanted to kill her before he expired as well, and if he survived this battle he would go and attempt the same against Chaozu's killer.  
  
It was a good plan; it might have worked if Irruit was a normal daemon. She was one of Mephiston's elite five however. She would keep coming until one of them was dead, and Tenshinhan just didn't have enough energy in his body to make her stay down. Even as his repeated Kikouhou's slammed her deeper into the Earth, she kept attempting to rise, eventually she would, and then he would die.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Medon had heard a lot about his current teacher. If someone asked him though, he would honestly say he wasn't impressed. He had expected a great warrior, and the short, overweight, blue, catfish looking man who stood before him now just didn't strike him as such. This was the Kaiosamma of the Northern Galaxy though he was told, who had managed to increase Goku, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, and Yamcha's powers by an incredible amount in a short period of time. Trunks had told him he should be honored to, he was using a privilege to come to the land of the living for a single day to come here and teach Medon as Goku's request.  
  
So far he had been abused with a number of horrid jokes, and a repeated remark that he wished he could have brought the monkey in here. The only good thing he would attribute to this so far was Kaiosamma could cook better then either Medon or Trunks had been capable of. The temperature had also regulated somehow in the room once Kaiosamma had entered with him. Still he just wanted to get this over with so his sister could come and train with him. Kaiosamma hadn't even understood the joke he told him when they got into a discussion about humor, of course the fact he had heard it from Uncle Goten and it was particularly crude may have helped attribute to that.  
  
"So what exactly are you going to teach me? As much as a good meal is going to help me, it really isn't going to let me go out there and defeat anyone at squat."  
  
"Patience Medon. Your more hyper then my monkey assistant Bubbles."  
  
Kaiosamma seemed to think a moment on that before covering up his mouth and snorting.  
  
"Hehehe, monkey, sayai-jin, I didn't even see that one. Am I good or what?"  
  
Medon could only sigh and shake his head; maybe this was a test of some sort. He had heard his father had to sit still in a circle for hours when the Rou Kaioshin had unleashed his power. The young demi-sayai-jin could only sit and listen to Kaiosamma as he continued to rattle off a number of bad puns and jokes and hope that something good came of all this.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kale tossed aside the battered and crushed corpse of his victim. The entire experience had been quite disappointing. The only thing that had gotten his blood pumped at all had been when the small man had begun to cry in the last few moments. It had been all to short however, and he craved some more sport. He could sense a large energy rushing toward Irruit as well as a rise in the one she was battling. That seemed to be the best spot for some sport, he could tell Zilvra was in combat with a ki nearly equal to her own and didn't quite feel like interfering into that as of yet.  
  
The giant was just turning away from the ruins of the hospital to head out of the city when the purple beam of energy slammed square into the small of his back. The attack carried enough force to send him stumbling forward a few steps, large hands reaching behind him in an attempt to pat at the smoking wound.  
  
With a snarl Kale spun about to face his attacker who was coming into a landing atop a large fallen chunk of rock. It was a human from the looks of him, seeming to be in his mid-thirties. His light brown skin was rippled with muscles and his black hair was an unkempt mohawk atop his head. He wore plain white pants and a black vest, open in the front. The corner of the massive daemon's lip turned up, his energy was impressive but not enough to be a threat.  
  
"Well, well another flesh bag on this mud ball seems to think they have enough power to matter."  
  
"I do have enough power. I had hoped you creatures would just leave, but instead you come into our cities and kill our innocent people. This is unforgivable. I am Ubuu, and I will be the one to stop you!"  
  
The giant threw his head back and laughed. It felt good actually, the sound rolling up from his belly to echo throughout the near empty city.  
  
"Is that so? Well feel free to try then Ubuu. Maybe you can manage to give me a bit of exercise before you die"  
  
Ubuu growled, his knees bending as he shifted into an offensive stance. White ki springing up around him as the rock beneath him broke apart as he launched himself at Kale. The giant responded with a strong forward punch as the on-coming warrior.  
  
The impact as their fists slammed together shattered the remaining windows in the two blocks surrounding the hospital, heralding another round of fierce battle within the confines of the city.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The human was finally down. Irruit had been just beginning to get seriously annoyed when Tenshinhan's energy had begun to wan. His last few attacks had barely managed to stagger her and now he was down on one knee, trying to raise his hand up to fire another blast at her as she rose up out of the hole he had blasted her into.  
  
Her black eyes flashed as twin beams of flame streamed forth to strike her exhausted opponent. He threw his arms in front of his body in an attempt to shield himself, but his scream of agony still echoed through the woods as the attack sent him hurtling backwards to slam into one of the ancient trees, sending cracks spider webbing up it's surface.  
  
"Poor human, so fragile. Here you actually thought you had a chance. A pity..."  
  
The daemoness held up the slender blade she had pulled from her hip sheath, her long forked tongue flickering out against its razor edge.  
  
"You've managed to impress me though, so I will take a memento from you. Your third eye."  
  
She was taking a step forward to finish off this human before he got up again when the on coming ki caught her attention. Her rage rose as she cursed at herself for not noticing it earlier. Tenshinhan's attacks had managed to distract her enough and her own delight in seeing him in agony afterwards had done the rest.   
  
She spun around to defend herself slashing to the side with her glowing red blade. Her speed alone saved her, the hilt of the dagger catching hard against the razor edge of the sword that had been swung at her spine.  
  
Irruit continued to turn to get a good look at her assailant but a black boot snapped up to crack into her jaw as she attempted to rotate, sending her stumbling backwards. She brought slender fingers up to wipe the thick stream of blood that dripped from her lips, dark eyes taking in her new opponent, a single word of hate muttered.  
  
"Sayai-jin."  
  
Trunks gave a short nod of his head and rose the tip of his blade, his golden aura crackling around it and strengthening it enough to match against her own magic weapon.  
  
"Let's see how happy you are with someone that can fight back at your own level."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The daemoness felt herself falling again, a violent shake of her head bringing her back to reality just before she slammed into the ground. Spinning about in mid-air Zilvra let her gaze wander up to the sayai-jin she had been fighting for the last few hours. He was a marvel to behold in combat. She actually had a slight advantage on him in pure power and he was still managing to match her move for move.  
  
Son Goku took a deep breath and used the break in combat to try to regain some of the energy he had lost so far. Even with having to go all out in this form he still considered himself lucky. The daemoness' twin hadn't involved herself in the fight, if she had he would have been forced to assume the third stage to even stand a chance and it would drain his ki reserves so quickly he would have to win within an hour or so or else he'd run out of energy. In the second stage he was about equal to this one, though she had a bit of an edge he was making up for it with experience.   
  
They had been trading blows for the better part of the day however, and he felt several other battles had begun around them. Even with the portal blurring his ability to sense ki he knew Trunks was involved in a fight in the woods near the Western Capital several miles away, and another ki he believed to be Ubuu was fighting within the city itself. Tenshinhan and Chaozu's energy had completely vanished, which meant they were either severely injured or dead. Neither of those options appealed to the sayai-jin at all. As the combat he was in had progressed he kept trying to find a way to put an end to it and win, but nothing had presented itself. He would either use all his energy and the other one would finish him, or he wasn't sure it would succeed. It seemed at the moment they were in a stalling action until Pan and Medon could come to tip the scales in their favor. His sense of time was off a bit by the fight, but he figured it would be at least another five hours until the two of them would be ready.  
  
Zilvra and Laele both backed up a bit as Goku screamed his ki raising up another few notches, the electrical sparks dancing around his body and snapping off the top of the water. Zilvra spread her wings and prepared to launch herself back at him before he had a chance to power up again, but as she did the golden warrior was already upon her in a barrage of punches and kicks, leaving her no room for mistakes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In all honestly, the Room bothered Pan quite a bit. The gravity wasn't really any issue, she had adapted to that quick enough. It was the change in temperatures and the vast emptiness of it that got to her. Unless she was right in the entrance area she felt like she was in the middle of nowhere, all alone, and it frightened her. When she would go out to train away from the entrance without Medon she would have time to let her mind wander, and usually her thoughts turned unpleasant quickly.  
  
That was also most likely the source of the arguments she and her brother had been engaged in since she had entered into the Room of Spirit and Time with him. They had briefly discussed his training with Trunks and then with Kaiosamma, the latter he didn't really say much on, beyond the fact that it had increased his power dramatically, and then set to the task at hand of getting him more combat experience and her own ki level up. Things had been ok at first, but she suspected the periods of time he had been on his own and doing nothing but training had gotten to him as much as they were getting to her, and he had experienced more of them. She had been in the Room to what amounted to maybe two weeks so far. He had been in here for over nine months. He had changed both physically and mentally. She could tell he had tried to push any thoughts of the tragedy that had forced them here from his mind, but her presence had brought it back as a fresh wound. To her it hadn't been long at all. So it was they had begun to argue at random points throughout the day. Usually on minor issues but every so often a fight during a training session would become particularly violent and they would have to stop to avoid injuring each other.  
  
For now she was sitting on her bed and watching her brother. He was a few hundred yards away out into the nothingness. The temperature had dropped and large chunks of ice had formed over most of the area, except for a large section around him. He was just standing there, not moving and focusing his ki. The golden flames crackling around his body pushing back the forming ice and causing cracks to run up the pieces that managed to form on the edge of his circle of power.  
  
She considered him now, as a man and as a warrior. He really had no combat experience so to speak, but did have training and pure power on his side. Trunks had done an exceptional job in the time he had, as had Kaiosamma. Of course it was to be expected of the later. Medon was easily stronger then her, even without transforming into a Super Sayai-jin. The transformation was incredibly difficult for him however. It didn't drain much energy but he seemed to have problems pushing himself into it at will. When he reached any extreme level of anger he would go into one stage or another without even trying, and his ki would rise above its normal limits. He needed to be able to access it at will though, even if his power would be a bit lower then when he was worked up. She knew when he was a child, their fathers power had been highest when he was angry, but when he grew older he had been able to harness it. Medon should have been able to do the same but he was just having trouble doing so. They didn't have much more time though, two and a half months and it would be time to leave the room and join the battles she knew were occurring even as they trained.  
  
Pan sighed and rubbed her eyes. She didn't know what to do with him. Nothing she seemed to say lately was getting through. He didn't want to learn the techniques she was attempting to teach him, and she had no advice to help him with the transformations. It seemed as if they were destined to just advance themselves as much as possible while they were in here together. She loved her brother dearly but he was so damn difficult.  
  
The ice flows around the entrance and the sleeping area cracked apart as Medon stepped out of them and onto the white tiles. The golden aura around him wavered a moment before fading away. His golden hair changing back to black and falling flat again, he had kept it cut short even within the room, the main change in the transformation being the increase in length.  
  
The demi-sayai-jin gave his sister only a short glance as he walked by her into the room where they kept the food. He really didn't feel like listening to her at this point, dark thoughts occupied his mind. He had to think of some of the most painful things possible to fully access his power and doing so tended to put him into a foul mood for sometime after. All she seemed to do anyway was complain and tell him what to do. She just didn't seem to understand he had to figure out a way to transform on his own, a few new energy techniques wouldn't help like it could.  
  
She had gotten up from the bed though and was following him. It seemed like it was going to be time for another discussion. There had been far to many of them since she had come into the Room for his liking, he would even take Kaiosamma's corny jokes over some of the things she said. Lately both of them had said things that were bordering on just purely hurtful and he didn't want to go there anymore.  
  
"You know, we maybe could have avoided this if you had trained to start with."  
  
Medon stopped cold and looked at Pan at the comment. This had not been a path he had expected her to take.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me. If you had trained to begin with, instead of studying, we maybe could have avoided this. You may have been strong enough to help everyone instead of hiding inside the building."  
  
Pan watched as her brothers lavender eyes went cold and locked onto her own. She knew she was walking down a bad path right now but the more she had thought about it, the more she had grown fed up. He wanted to do everything himself, that was fine, but she was going to point out to him what listening to her in the past may have stopped.   
  
"I tried to get you to train with me. You didn't want to though...you wanted to be a scholar like Dad. You idolized him and now he's gone, and so is Mom. If you had trained you probably could be even stronger then you are now, and have been able to do something when those things showed up. Of course they even showed up at a party we were having for you."  
  
Medon swallowed and took a deep breath before he spoke back to Pan. He felt the power rising up within him and was fighting to keep it down. Her tone of voice was completely calm but held an accusing edge to it, like she was trying to blame him for what had happened. He would never have said what he did under normal circumstances, but the stress had finally gotten to him and she had pushed over the last week and this was the final straw.  
  
"Your maybe right, but, you killed Dad."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"If you had been stronger, Dad wouldn't have died. He didn't die trying to fight them, or protecting us. He was strong enough he could have beaten that thing inside probably, or taken care of himself. He died, because you couldn't protect yourself. He died to save you."  
  
He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth and he saw the tears begin to form in his sister's large brown eyes. Pan felt to her knees in the small pantry area, no words leaving her mouth, but her lip quivering as she tried to speak. She had never considered that before, but hearing it from Medon, her little brother, it hit home. It was true. She closed her eyes and felt cold tears run down her cheeks. One hand pressed to the smooth tiles of the floor to keep her from falling flat, her knees had already turned to jelly.  
  
Medon's heart melted as he watched his sister break down before him. He hadn't meant to cause this, only to get back at her for what she was saying. He didn't realize it would hit her this hard. He slowly reached out to touch her shoulder, but she viciously shook her arm causing him to back away. It was then he realized the ground was shaking.   
  
Pieces of the tiled pantry began to break free and float into the air, the pots and cans of food in the shelves shaking free of the shelves of also taking flight. Consumed by her sorrow, Pan threw her head back and screamed, trying to be free of her inner demons that threatened to consume her with guilt. Medon tossed his arms up as the pantry blew apart, golden flames roaring up to consume the small room.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The giant had been right. Ubuu groaned and attempted to rise up to his feet but his legs wouldn't respond to take him off the one knee he had fallen down to. He had managed to fight Kale to a standstill for a number of hours before his energy began to give out.   
  
Ubuu had taken almost no hits for the majority of the battle, but the daemon seemed to shrug off his most powerful attacks with no effort. Now the tide of battle had turned and he had taken almost a dozen attacks that had caused him severe internal injury.  
  
Kale advanced on his enemy. The human had put up quite a fight he had to admit. Nothing worth writing home about, but enough to give him a bit of a work out as he had hoped for. He was going to kill this one now and then lay waste to the rest of the city. After that he'd probably have to go take care of the energy he had felt approaching Irruit, her power had dropped a bit while it had grown some. Part of him hoped she would be either severely beaten so he could have his way with her or dead, he had never liked her.   
  
Kale was opening his mouth to fire the killing blast at Ubuu when Irruit was thrown into his left side with enough force to send both of them into the air and nearly two blocks down the street. The giant roared from within the building he had landed within, the structure exploding with the force of his anger. Irruit was rising unsteadily to her feet besides him, the daemoness' red hide was scorched and a number of bruises were visible across her skin.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!"  
  
She growled and jerked her thumb down to street to the golden glowing form of Trunks that was landing near the injured Ubuu.  
  
"He came out of no where. They aren't supposed to be this damn powerful!"  
  
Kale snarled at the other daemon and slapped her hard across the face, sending her back down to her knee.  
  
"You stupid cow! Do you expect them to just lie down and die, they will give all they have. You were simply weak, why don't you play with the human I already pulped while I handled this whelp?"  
  
The giant gave a chuckle and rose up to his full height, large strides taking him back down the street towards his newest prey.  
  
Trunks had told Ubuu to hide his energy as much as possible and use a nearby sewer to hide in. The injured man wouldn't get far though if he couldn't hold these two here long enough for him to get out of sight. The sayai-jin stood from his kneeling position near the manhole cover, watching Kale advance towards him. The daemoness he had been fighting was also getting up from the fallen building and slowly making her way down the street.  
  
He took a breath and drew his sword from its sheath upon his back. It was time for round two.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was time. Goku had felt the shift in energy from the battlefields. Ubuu's had vanished and Trunks was now near two large dark ki's. They also were down to under an hour from when his grandchildren should have been out of the Room of Spirit and Time.  
  
Zilvra ceased her attack as her opponent suddenly smiled and slowly raised a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. The fight had intensified in the last few hours, and she had a few large purplish welts to prove it, but so did he. She didn't see any reason for him to be smiling.  
  
"What are you so happy about meat?"  
  
"Because I don't have to hold back any longer."   
  
The water underneath Goku began to ripple and then swirl about, the twins could feel his ki starting to rise as an incredibly rate. The crackling golden aura around him flaring outward, as his golden hair stretched down his back. His muscular form seemed to grow even more, as his brow pushed forward, his eyebrows vanishing. It was time to give his all, if he could beat them so be it, otherwise he could certainly hold them until reinforcements were on hand to defeat the weakened daemons.  
  
The daemoness cursed and looked to her sister. She had thought his second transformation had been the last one. This new form was immensely powerful and one on one he would be able to beat her, she was sure of that.   
  
Laele gave a nod and spread her black wings wide, a single flap taking her to her twin's side. The sayai-jin's ki had shot up, but together they should still be a match for him and could most likely defeat him.  
  
"Seems looks aren't everything eh Laele?"  
  
"Shut up. So he had a few surprises on hand, you're the one that said this would be play time."  
  
Zilvra snorted at her sister and popped the twin blades that were housed on the back of each arm. Laele did the same and in perfect movements with each other the two charges in at the Super Sayai-jin Three Son Goku.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pan took a deep breath as she stepped out of the Room of Spirit and Time. The air outside was so much more refreshing; it wasn't heavy with the gravity within the room. Her path was straight, walking to the edge of God's Lookout, Medon following close behind her.  
  
They hadn't argued once since that day. His words had hurt her emotionally, but it had triggered something that might help save them. So they had focused and both given their all, growing closer and more powerful together.  
  
Now they looked down upon the Earth and were ready. Pan had cut her hair short before they had left the room, much like her mother had for the Tenkaichi Bodoukai over thirty years before. Before he had returned to his own planet Kaiosamma had made them both outfits per their request for this moment. She wore a thin red short-sleeved top to allow for easy movement, it only covered her upper torso, leaving her smooth stomach bare. She had followed Trunks mode of dress and gone with black leather, a matching vest and pair of tight pants. She had completed her dress with a set of yellow knee high boots.  
  
Medon's request had been simple. He had wanted to follow the path of his father. So he now wore a loose fitting red gi, no symbol's visible on the material. His undershirt, boots, and wristbands were black. The clothing was all weighted both for tradition and to add some impact to his attacks.  
  
They both could sense the dark ki that seemed to have bled over most of the planet. Their grandfathers and Trunks seeming to be the only two spots of light in the see of darkness, but the light would die soon if they didn't hurry.  
  
Turning to his sister, the young man gave a brief nod. It was time.  
  
"Let's go"  
  
Together they stepped off God's Lookout and sped towards the battlefield. Two arrows aimed at the heart of doom.  



	6. Embodiment of Flame

Author's Note: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT nor any of its related characters. Most of the names of daemons and such here in are taken from sources of mythology and religion, though no reference to either is intended. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
  
Chapter 5: Embodiment of Flame  
  
  
The image in the portal before Mephiston wavered for a moment before blacking out totally. The magistrate gave a low growl and tossed the scrying device aside. Things were progressing much slower then he had anticipated and it seemed had a slim chance of going sour from the current situation. The last thing he had seen was the battle between Son Goku and the twins, Zilvra and Laele. The fight had been even when it had just been Goku and Zilvra, but after he had assumed Stage Three; Laele had also entered into the battle. Son Goku had clearly dominated the two in the first few exchanges but it was evident to Mephiston that his battle with Zilvra that had lasted over half the day had sapped a large amount of his energy, and the Super Sayai-jin Stage Three was notorious for draining the users power quickly, even if they were inactive. Goku was having to go all out to fight off the two, from the looks of things he would run out of power before he was able to kill them both, and at least one of them would finish him. The daemon lord didn't like the idea of losing either of his prized assassins but it was to be expected when facing this one. Son Goku was incredibly dangerous in battle, and his decade and a half of being bonded to the Eternal Dragon, Shenron had only increased his abilities.  
  
Still two more extremely large ki's had appeared moments before Mephiston's scrying had been disrupted by the amount of energy being tossed around on the planet, and it most certainly wasn't any of his minions. With another snarl, the magistrate spun on his aid, there would be no more chances, if he failed, as Baal had, the Emperor would have his head.  
  
"Prepare my flagship.  
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Explosions tore across the ground, vaporizing rocks and trees a series of ki blasts meant for Goku slammed into them. The Sayai-jin spun in his straight path just as Laele appeared in front of him, her left arm jabbing forward attempting to use his own momentum to plunge her arm blade into his face. Goku twisted his body up, the blade barely slicing the front of his blue gi, as his forearm slammed into the daemonesses' throat sending her hurtling backward. Coming up short, his gold aura flared as he fired a barrage of energy blasts in the direction she was going. His Renozoku Energy Dan rocked into the distance causing another series of explosions.  
  
He was just turning to attempt to locate the other one, when he felt Zilvra's hand lock in the spiked locks of his long golden hair. His head was yanked sharply back, presenting the assassin a clear path to slam her elbow down into his face, her foot snapping up a second letter to connect with the back of his head. The Sayai-jin was sent into a spin forward from the second blow, a cloud of dust springing up as he hit the ground.  
  
Rising unsteadily to his feet, Goku wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around at his surroundings. The battle had taken them from the coast into Satan City, and above the Tenkaichi Bodoukai ring. He had landed right besides the ring itself. The twin assassins were regrouping above him, taking a moment to rest for themselves before initiating another assault. That suited Goku fine. Any rest he could get at this point would do him good. He had spent almost eighteen hours in Super Sayai-jin Stage Two while in combat with Zilvra. That alone had taken most of his ki, and then the twenty minutes he had spent in Stage Three had brought him down to almost nothing. An odd smile passed his face as he realized he actually was lucky. If not for his increased power from Shenron, he wouldn't have even been able to hold out that long in Stage Two going all out. He only needed to last a few more minutes though. Despite the distortions the portals were causing, he could still feel Pan and Medon on their way down from God's Lookout. Medon had broken off from his sister within the last minute, heading in his direction. From what he could tell Pan was heading away from him, most likely towards Trunks.  
  
Tearing off the shredded shirt of his gi, Goku tossed it aside and looked up to his enemies. They didn't know it, but he had held back once Laele had entered the fight. She seemed reluctant to engage in his battle and he wanted to give them the chance to withdraw. Vegeta would have called him soft for the action, but he didn't like to kill, especially those that were forced to fight. It didn't matter anymore though, even if he gave it his all, he was to weak at this point to finish either of the sisters. He could hold them for a few more minutes though.  
  
A hundred feet in the air, Zilvra smiled as she watched Goku's golden aura of ki flare up again. The Sayai-jin was quite a challenge; if Laele had joined the fight he would have beaten her. He didn't have much energy left though; and had taken numerous cuts from their wrist blades; it was only a matter of time. The daemoness spread her bat-like wings wide and dove at Goku, with a sigh of discontent Laele followed her a split second later.  
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Trunks Briefs slowly raised his head up from the pavement he had been laying upon. He had overestimated his strength it seemed. When he had initially attacked the daemoness Irruit he had expected a battle he was certain to win, he could tell from the ki he had sensed from her, that he had an advantage after all. When Kale had joined the combat on her side though things had taken a bad turn. The giant would have been able to challenge and very likely beat Trunks on his own, but against two of them, the demi-sayai-jin hadn't even been able to go on the offensive. His training had been the only thing that had kept him alive up to this point, but he was tired and taking more and more hits. His hope had faded and his strength was following. They would kill him, then the wounded Tenshinhan, and then track down and murder Ubuu as well.  
  
The giant, Kale, watched as the Sayai-jin managed to stand again. This one was stubborn. He had landed a few good strikes in the last few minutes, and he was still getting up. He had heard this race was pig headed but this was more then he expected. With a snort he glanced over at Irruit, who had finally managed to regenerate from the damage she had taken in her initial battle with Trunks.  
  
"Do you think you can finally take him? Or do you need me to swat him around some more?"  
  
She responded with a snarl to the larger daemon, her sharp teeth catching the bit of light that remained within the city's limits. Popped a few kinks out of her neck and stretching her wings, Irruit examined Trunks carefully. This one had taken her by surprise previously, she didn't want to make a brash attack and suffer for it again.   
  
Her dark eyes wandered over his body, considering the puffiness of the bruises that had formed upon his face, or the amount of blood that ran from each of his wounds. Even with the extent of those injuries, she probably would have simply fired energy attacks at him. The large cracks that spider webbed across his armored torso, and the way he favored his ribs though gave her confidence, that was enough of an edge to let her take the fight as she enjoyed it, hand to hand. He had also lost the golden aura that had crackled around him during their battle, and his hair had fallen again to frame his face, a light lavender in color.  
  
Irruit was had just taken her first step forward, bat like wings spreading to give her momentum when the street in front of her and Kale exploded, sending chunks of concrete high into the air and showering both of them.  
  
When the dust cleared both the daemons were presented with the sight of a woman, standing besides the battered Sayai-jin, her eyes locked to both of them. Irruit wasn't impressed with their new enemy, destroying sidewalk and hurting them were two different things, and from the ki she could detect from this one, she wouldn't be much of a challenge.  
  
Kale on the other hand was considering his play options for when she was beaten if Irruit didn't damage her too much. She wasn't that tall, maybe 5"5" appearing to be in her mid to late twenties. Her features were well defined however, and her body though slender was well built, the giant baring his teeth in mockery of a grin when his eyes dropped to the soft curve of her breasts beneath the red half shirt that she wore, and the smooth expanse of her stomach that was visible. Yes, he didn't indeed hope she wasn't marred to badly.  
  
Trunks managed to look through the haze of pain up to his savior. His voice almost catching in his throat as he caught sight of Pan. Expect for the fact she had cut her formally flowing black hair short, she looked much the same. Still something about her had changed, it showed in the depths of her eyes. Her gloved hand cupped his cheek as she knelt by him, not saying anything yet, but giving him a once over, looking for any serious injuries.  
  
"You should be strong enough to fly. Get out of here if you can, I'll hold them for as long as I can."  
  
He started to respond when she grabbed the front of his black trench coat and yanked him hard to the side, a purple beam of energy slicing past their heads to explode in the distance. Gritting her teeth Pan turned to face Irruit, who stood smirking her hand extended in the direction of the two Sayai-jin.  
  
"A touching scene, but one you don't have time for girl. If it makes you feel better, he'll get a good view of me tearing out your lungs."  
  
Son Pan took a few steps away from Trunks, her path straight for Irruit. Only briefly did her eyes dart to the side to take in Kale. The giant seemed content to watch for the moment though. Pan stopped just three meters from the assassin, straightening her black vest and slowly spreading her feet in preparation.  
  
"Well...let's see what you got. You bitch!"  
  
Trunks felt his draw drop as he felt and watched Pan's ki skyrocket. The view he had been appreciating of her smooth stomach changed, the muscles across her abdomen becoming visible and her thin arms tightening. Her short black hair floated a moment before standing straight up and turning a brilliant gold. Her golden aura flared up around her, as her dark eyes changed to green, her transformation into a Super Sayai-jin complete.  
  
Irruit took a single step backward meaning to fire an attack at Pan. She never made it, dust shooting up along the ground as Pan flew in, her fist slamming into the assassin's face, black blood splashing onto red skin.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The three warriors felt the large ki that had just appeared, the slight pause by Zilvra and Laele to glance in the direction of the newest battle, giving Goku another much needed moment of rest. The moment he touched down and took a deep breath in he lost his transformation. He had barely been holding Stage One for the last few exchanges, and now he didn't even have enough energy left to hold that.  
  
Laele let the feelings of the new energy wash over her a minute then turned back to her sister. Her wings slowly retracting as she landed a few feet away from the injured Sayai-jin.   
  
"The new energy is large, but Kale should be able to handle it. It is around the level of the one that he was fighting previously. It's spiking to just above every few seconds but then it drops down to just under."  
  
Her twin gave a nod and also landed, also near Goku. He had fallen to his knees and was attempting to catch his breath. He had passed his limits and just wasn't recovering fast enough; all he wanted to do was fall over and rest. He wouldn't though; he would die fighting, as a Sayai-jin should.  
  
"Well I guess playtime is over then. This one here is out of juice."  
  
The comment received a venomous glare from the other daemoness. Laele sitting down on one of the benches fighters would use to watch others complete while they waited their own chance.  
  
"This is pointless. You just like killing because it fulfills your own sick needs. If we instead just used a threat of force, most people would instead just join the Emperor and there wouldn't be conflict."  
  
"You're an idiot Laele. Do you really believe al of this is for any reason other then the pure joy of the slaughter? Even if this race would be good to make a crossbreed, they're too stubborn. Besides, examples are needed."  
  
Despite the situation, Goku felt a smile creep over his face as he raised his head up to look at the two. He didn't have any illusions that Laele's distaste with the process would cause her to attempt to save him, but it was nice to hear something beyond a litany of hate.  
  
"You really should listen to her. Living in peace and only fighting to get stronger or to test your strength is a lot better then going out and killing for fun. Besides, if you kill everyone you're not going to meet anyone interesting, like a nice guy to settle down with."  
  
The Sayia-jin thought on this a moment then chuckled and gathered his feet under him, coming up to one knee.  
  
"Of course, with your personality your not likely to manage that anyway."  
  
He was sliding past the ring the next minute, Zilvra having turned and struck him with the back of her hand. He was still smiling though as he sat up, the daemoness rapidly approaching him.  
  
"As if I need a stupid male. What in the name of the Emperor are you smiling about?! You are about to die you idiot!"  
  
Goku only shook his head, and gave another low chuckle. Pointing instead to the air above them.  
  
"That's doubtful. One the topic of a male as you put it though, one has just arrived for you."  
  
Both the daemonesses gazes rose in the direction of the Sayai-jin's indication. A young man in a red gi was descending from the sky into the center of the ring. Son Medon had arrived.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pain was the first sensation Tenshinhan experienced as he came back to consciousness in the forest outside the Western Capital. Irruit's flame attack had critically injured him; he was lucky to still be alive. If Trunks hadn't shown up he wouldn't be.  
  
Using the broken tree he had been leaning against, the warriors painfully came up into a standing position. He could feel another battle going on now; Trunks ki had dropped down to below his normal level though. From the level of power, it was obviously another Super Sayai-jin, but not Goku. He was curious but didn't even have enough power to fly to the source, much less become involved in any fights. He had a feeling something else was about to emerge though. He could sense four powers even further away. One was Goku, the other two seemed to be daemons. The fourth he didn't know, but it was similar in feel to the other Super Sayai-jin he felt now. With his experience he could also tell it was repressed dramatically.   
  
Tenshinhan grunted as he knees gave out, dropping him back into a sitting position on the ground, the tree keeping him from falling backwards. It didn't really matter though; he couldn't do anything right now anyway. All he could do was sit here and let his senses tell him what was going out through the fog of the portal, and hope.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Medon landed in the ring, standing just upon the edge. If he stepped down onto the side he would have been directly between his grandfather and Zilvra. It wasn't necessary however; the daemoness had stopped her advance. Goku was beaten in her opinion and their second target had just arrived.  
  
Laele had risen to her feet when the other Sayai-jin had arrived. She didn't move closer though, something about the situation didn't feel right to her. His power was gradually rising, which was to be expected if he was going to attempt to fight them, but deep in the pit of her stomach, she still didn't like the feeling of this.  
  
Medon didn't even give the twins a glance, instead extending his hand towards Goku, a small ball of blue energy forming in his palm, which fired out, into the older man. The ball expanded at contact, flowing over Goku and absorbing itself into his body. It wasn't much in the way of ki, but it was enough to give him enough strength to defend himself if the need arose again. Seeing his grandfather getting to his feet now, purple eyes turned to the assassins.  
  
Zilvra hopped up into the ring with Medon. Even with the energy he had given Goku, she still figured they could finish them both. The boy's ki had stopped rising and was holding level, it was even below what Goku had been when he showed up to initiate combat before any transformation.  
  
"Well, it seems you've saved us the trouble of finding you. You Sayai-jin aren't that bright are you? You just rush to your deaths, you seem more comparable to those lemming creatures these earthlings have then a warrior race. You might as well just rush off a cliff."  
  
Laele had climbed up onto the far end of the ring. There was something about the cold edge to the young man's eyes that told her to turn and flee. He also looked different then the image Mephiston had shown them of him. He had put on close to four inches it seemed and a good thirty pounds of muscle, his build still slim but toned to perfection. His spiked mass of black hair was also slightly longer, it seemed he had aged since they were shown him. Their master was rarely wrong, and he had seen the boy just the previous day in the portal, something was defiantly wrong.  
  
"Zilvra, just kill the other one. We can do this later, yeah, we can uhmm..let him see how powerful you are and just come back later."   
  
Zilvra shot a glance at her twin, the waver in the voice of her twin striking a nerve. Laele though she didn't like their work wasn't normally shakeable. Zilvra thought a moment then pushed it away, she figured it was because they hadn't had a challenge in sometime and it had just put her on edge.  
  
"Don't be a coward. What is this whelp going to do? He barely looks like he's out of diapers."  
  
Medon hadn't said anything yet, simply listening to the two assassins go back and forth. The sound of his boot turning upon the tiles of the ring brought the attention of both the daemonesses to him. His voice when he spoke was soft, and almost without emotion.  
  
"One chance, leave now and you won't die. I suggest you take it, or neither of you are going to leave this planet."  
  
Zilvra laughed in his face. They had beaten what Mephiston had told them was the greatest warrior of this planet. One seventeen-year-old boy wasn't going to discourage her in the least. She was completely confident in her abilities, even if her sister had gone yellow in her eyes. Then the ground began to shake.  
  
Goku had immediately gotten to his feet when Medon had given him some of his energy. He had been about to give it back, his grandson would need it for the coming fight, then he had realized Medon's ki hadn't dropped at all from the gift. The Sayai-jin had instead moved away from the ring, if Medon had indeed managed to train with Kaiosamma his ki would be incredible when it was unleashed and he didn't want to be at ground zero. He noticed the more passive of the two daemonesses, Laele, had moved to the back of the ring and was glancing around nervously seeming to look for a route to escape.  
  
Zilvra continued to laugh for another minute then it stopped short as she became aware of the rumbling of the Tenkaichi Bodoukai stadium. The tiles of the ring had begun to shake, small cracks forming across the plaster as they began to break free of the stone platform below and hover into the air. Small blue sparks dancing across the walls, and snaking around Medon's body.  
  
The daemoness had been confident. She was an elite warrior after all, trained by one of the most powerful beings in existence, but as lavender became emerald she felt that confidence waiver. Then Medon screamed and for the first time in her life, Zilvra knew fear.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pan drove her fist again into Irruit's face for what probably was the thousandth time since their fight had begun, Irruit responding immediately with an elbow strike into the Sayai-jin's midsection. Both the women stumbling backwards from the blows and eyeing each other up with increased respect. They were almost evenly matched, Pan's slight edge tempered by her desire to not cause more damage to the city.   
  
The two women were preparing to engage in another exchange of blows when they felt it coming. The onlookers Trunks and Kale also turned in the direction the two combatants had looked in. They were not prepared for the sight that greeted them. The dark clouds in the sky had parted several miles off, bolts what seemed to be lightning snapping up from the ground beneath the anomaly. Then they all felt it. A massive ki rising up from seemingly nowhere, the energy seeming to hang in the air all around them, as a tangible thing.   
  
Pan and Trunks had both felt it before in the Room of Spirit and Time, but never at this level. To Irruit and Kale it completely baffled them. They only power they had sensed at even close to this level before, was the one Zilvra and Laele had been fighting, but they had beaten him they thought, even if it was coming from their location.  
  
The two assassins felt the psychic prick in their minds as Ranaghar contacted them from near the portal. Kale was off the ground within a second at their leaders order, heading for the source of the power, Irruit should have been able to handle the two Sayai-jin here if she played her cards right, especially with the one wounded.  
  
The huge black streak that was Kale rushed off towards Satan City. As he got closer, beyond all belief, the power kept rising.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At the moment as his scream, Medon has burst into golden flames. The floating tiles of the ring turning to dust in the initial flaring of his power, as the ring itself split apart, a crater digging into the stone beneath him. His hair now stood in sharp spikes atop his head, a single long piece hanging before his face. Goku watched in awe of the wooden benches in the stadium itself snapped off their supports and were forced into the surrounding wall.   
  
His attention turned back his grandson then. The youngster's power was impressive, but still incredibly raw. That was obvious in the time it was taking him to reach full power. It had been the same the first time he had taken on Stage Three as a living being during his battle with Fat Buu. He had actually caused some damage to the surrounding area from his ki being let out. So it was with Medon, the uncontrolled force of his energy was tearing apart everything in the area. That may have actually been a good thing. It seemed to be impressing the twins, which if Medon could destroy their will to fight, it would make the battle that much easier.  
  
Medon took in a deep breath as he reached his maximum power, the stress that he had been exerting on the surrounding area slowly receding. He had trained long and hard, following the directions of Trunks, Pan, and Kaiosamma to reach this point. He wasn't sure if it would be enough, but he planned to give his all. He had hoped the two wouldn't surrender. These were the same type of monster that killed his parents, friends, and family. The Super Sayai-jin required a pure heart, but it was an incarnation of rage for those inexperienced with it. Even with all his training, Medon was still new to the form, most of his time training he had spent in normal form, and he had always given in to his emotions when he had transformed. So it was at this moment, he wanted to prove himself, to these creatures and to his grandfather whom he had hero-worshipped his entire life from just the stories he had been told.  
  
Zilvra glanced over her shoulder at Laele whom had stopped retreating once Medon had reached full power. It was lower then both of them had suspected. On an individual level he was a good deal higher then either of them, he was actually a bit higher then Goku had been during this battle with them, when he had been holding back, but they were two, while he was one. He was also young, Zilvra and Laele both had over two decades of combat experience, more then Medon had even been alive. They also felt Kale coming, with the giant's aid this would most likely be an even easier fight then the previous one had been.  
Zilvra gave her sister a nod then charged in.  
  
"This had gotten dull, let's finish this one off fast."  
  
Despite the fact Medon had maxed out below what she had expected, Laele still had that bad feeling, she full agreed with her sister's statement. He was also quite impressive looking to her, which may have been part of her uneasiness. He was shorter then she, maybe 5"9" or so, and built slender. He was completely muscle though, and his mass had increased when he had transformed, the bulk going on at the same time the sparks of electricity had appeared around him. A few thoughts beyond fighting had passed through her head since his arrival. They were distractions she didn't need with a dangerous opponent; they had to end this now.  
  
As Zilvra charged in, Laele extended one hand towards the demi-Sayai-jin, her other hand gripping onto her wrist. Black energy wove its way up her arm before tearing towards the teenager.  
  
Medon shot backwards as Zilvra dashed forward at him. A cloud of dust shooting up beneath him as he changed direction and blasted straight up, both Zilvra and Laele's black energy beam changing their path to follow him. Spinning around to face the two threats, Medon put his hands over his head, one in front of the other palms flat. A red glow forming in his palm as he tossed them down in front of him, unleashing the blast at Zilvra.  
  
"Masenkou!"  
  
With a curse Zilvra jerked to the side in her flight, the energy beam just missing her, intending to continue her upward path towards Medon. Then his attack hit his intended target, Laele's energy beam that was chasing him. The two energy attacks exploded on contact, the shockwave shaking Zilvra and stopping her flight as she had a moment of disorientation.   
  
Laele watched as Medon took advantage of her sister's moment of distraction to launch his own assault. The Sayai-jin dropped down behind her, striking her with a blur of fists and kicks as she struggled to turn around and defend herself. She finally managed to turn and face him, jabbing forward with both her arm blades in an attempt to gut him. She passed clean through Medon's body, the image he had left fading from the air.   
  
The daemoness stepped back as he appeared on the ground just a few feet in front of her, emerald eyes locked to her. He remained there unmoving for a moment before vanishing again, taking position next to Zilvra who was loudly cursing him and the few generations the proceeded him.  
  
"You stupid child! What do you hope to accomplish? You can't beat us!"  
  
Medon gave a low snort and spit to the side in response to the assassin's statement. He seemed to be doing pretty well so far in his opinion. She continued to swear at him, most of which he found to be unintelligible though he thought he caught a few less then complementary references to Goku in the mass.   
  
He was just about fed up with her and about to attack when Laele's spiked heel landed in the small of his back, sending him flying forward where Zilvra waited. Zilvra's rock hard fists went into a barrage of motion, impacting into Medon's stomach in rapid succession. Laele closed the distance to him then, also going into a series of punch and kicks onto the Sayai-jin.  
  
Goku watched from the ground level as the battle heated up. Medon's initial exchanges with the two had been pretty good, but together they seemed to be overwhelming him. He was overconfident, a problem Goku had also experienced in his lifetime. Medon also had a serious lack of defense from what he could see, the boy's attacks and tactics were almost flawless except in that area. He had been about to attempt a teleportation as close to the wounded as possible to try to get them out of there when the flow of battle had changed. Now he wasn't sure if he should become involved or not, he was still weak and wouldn't prove much help, but he could at least distract one of them for a time.  
  
The Sayai-jin was just about to join into the melee when golden flames burst up around Medon, both the teenager's hands shooting out to the sides despite the fists still impacting into his body. Twin beams of blue energy firing out of his palms, striking the twins full force and streaking out into the distance to slam into the ground almost a mile away, exploding on contact.  
  
Goku smiled and gave a small chuckle. His grandson did seem to have the situation in hand at least for a moment. He put two fingers to his forehead, concentrating for a moment, intending to go to Tenshinhan, when he realized something had changed. The portals on Earth had vanished. He senses were completely unhindered. That meant they were up to something, he'd have to get whom he could out of here fast before things go worse. Locking onto Tenshinhan's weak energy, Goku focused his power to active his Instantaneous Movement technique and vanished from inside the stadium.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pan coughed up blood as Irruit's fist hammered into her face. The Super Sayai-jin blurring out from her current position to behind the daemon, snapping her foot into the back of her head. Irruit jerked forward under the blow, her wings flapping to send her forward a few meters and give her a break from her enemy.  
  
The two were even on almost every level. What Pan lacked in experience next to the daemoness she made up for in power. Neither was able to gain a clear advantage over the other. Irruit was starting to develop an intense dislike of these Sayai-jin, especially the ones that could change into these golden demons.  
  
Pan reached up to wipe the line of blood that had trickled from her nose away. It figured, her first real battle as a Super Sayai-jin and it was someone this powerful. She'd be better off fighting Trunks, at least she knew what to expect. These daemons were completely unpredictable, they're attacks were almost elemental in nature, not pure ki energy like she used.  
  
Irruit's dark eyes flipped from her opponent to the distance. The energy on this planet had just changed. The portals had closed. That meant one of two things, either the attack was over which she doubted. Or they were redirecting the energy to bring in the fleet. The second was most likely; the fleet could bombard a planet from orbit, as well as transport warriors over great distances in a short time. The downside was, she had to wrap this up quickly, the Lords and Commanders would want to move on soon.  
  
Pan also noticed the change in the ki levels across the planet. She was more interested in Goku's ki though. He had just moved a number of miles in the last few seconds to where Tenshinhan was located, and now both of their energies were within a few hundred feet, where she had left Trunks. It meant he suspected something and was trying to get the wounded out of here. If Irruit noticed Goku's lowered power level she'd probably attempt to get around Pan and attack the entire group. That couldn't happen.  
  
Golden flames burst up around Pan again as she forced her power to the limits. She just had to hold the line for a bit longer, and then whatever plan Goku had probably come up with would save them all. She hoped.  
  
Irruit readied herself as Pan flew back in at her, the two coming together with a thunderclap, sending a shockwave that shook the buildings around them, the two dueling women slowly moving away from the destroyed hospital and those that on the other side of it, as they rained blows onto each other.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trunks shook his head to reorient himself to his current location. Goku had just teleported directly besides him, the injured Tenshinhan thrown over his shoulder. He was now being shaken roughly by the shoulder and told to get up.  
  
"Come on Trunks. You need to get yourself together. I'm going to need your help to get us all to New Namek."  
  
"Namek?"  
  
"Yes Namek, you can Tenshinhan can rest there. I need to come back and get Ubuu, and see what is going on."  
  
The demi-Sayai-jin gave a weak nod and took hold of Goku's arm, giving him the last bit of his ki that he could spare. Goku touched his other hand to his forehead, locating God's energy across the void of space. That was the main gift that being bonded with the dragon, Shenron had granted him. His ability to sense energy had expanded to an almost infinite level. Finding the energy, he locked onto it, and the three warriors vanished.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Despite his incredible speed, it had taken Kale a few minutes to arrive on the scene of the vicious battle that was occurring. He had figured Zilvra and Laele would be holding their own, they were all around the most powerful of their group, even if he possessed the highest pure power.   
  
They were fully on the defensive though when he was within eyeshot. Both of the twins were covered in dirt and black marks from the barrage of ki bolts the Sayai-jin was firing down onto them. Zilvra was in the ring itself, and Laele floating about three meters above, the golden glowing warrior high in the air his arms pumping forward furiously as he unleashed golden bolt after bolt onto the two.  
  
The giant almost laughed, but refrained from it. Stealth may actually help him in this situation. He lowered his energy level and slowly flew up on Medon. So intent was Medon up his targets that he didn't even notice Kale until the giant threw his huge arms around the teenager, wrapping him in an unbreakable bear hug and cutting off his assault.  
  
Zilvra and Laele slowly lowered their arms as the attack on them suddenly ceased, both looking into the sky. Laele lowering to the ground where her knees buckled from the damage she had taken having received most of the shots. Zilvra on the other hand grinned wickedly and spread her wings wide, strong legs sending her into the air towards the two.  
  
"Having a bit of a problem with this whelp Zilvra? I'm disappointed in you two. Mephiston shows you so much favor and you can't even take out one little boy."  
  
"Shut up idiot. You have no concept of us and those who we do battle with. You'd have been in the same position if you started the fight as we did.   
You were lucky enough to be given weak opponents to play with so far today."  
  
Kale snorted and tightened his grip, electing a yell of pain from Medon. The demi-Sayai-jin's muscles and bones being slowly crushed in the giant's powerful arms, which continued to constrict.   
  
"He doesn't look like much. Tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I'll hold him nice and still and you can kill him."  
  
Zilvra chuckled and nodded. She didn't like taking help from Kale, but in this case she'd make an exception. She retracted the twin blades that were mounted on her wrist guards, with it this easy, she might as well make things as painful as possible for the boy. She had only one real target, his face and upper torso, Kale's massive arms covering the rest of his body. That was fine for her though, it meant this would take awhile. Medon grunted and his head snapped to the side as Zilvra began her pummeling of his face. Blood splashing from his mouth or nose onto Kale's biceps and forearms with each impact.  
  
The ruthless beating continued for seconds, which rolled into minutes. Laele sat in the remains of the ring, trying to block out the sounds. If they were going to kill him, she wished they would just get it over with. He was just trying to defend his planet, something she could understand. He didn't deserve this.  
  
Zilvra stopped her beating of Medon a moment to observe her handiwork. Her arms were flecked with blood up to the elbows and drops of it also covered Kale. Medon's face was battered, though his ki hadn't decreased enough for her liking, he still held the second stage of a Super Sayai-jin. It was time to finish him before he got any ideas.  
  
"Say good night boy. It's time to join your father. Then we'll finish off the rest of your useless line and the inhabitants of his stupid planet"  
  
Zilvra drew her arm back, the duel blade on her left wrist springing forth again. Then she swung it forward, the razor tips aimed for Medon's eyes.  
  
Death was coming straight for him. He knew that, he had been trying for the last few minutes unsuccessfully to break Kale's hold on him. He just couldn't get enough leverage in this position to put up any good fight. He was out of options. He hadn't wanted to do what he was about to, but if he didn't he would most certainly die here. Then they would go after Pan. He wasn't sure his body would be able to take the pressure, he had been warned against it, but it was time to find out.  
  
"I won't allow it."  
  
Kale felt his black flesh blister almost instantly as golden flames burst to life around Medon, blue crackles of electrical energy dancing up the boys form and across his own skin. Then the aura changed, turning deep amber, as if a shade of red had joined the golden. Zilvra drove her arm on, not stopping until the flames flared as the tip of her blades touched them, the guard and blade combo on the back of her wrist bursting apart as Medon yelled, the explosion of his power, tearing clear through one of the giants arms and sending Kale flying away from him and down to the ground below.  
  
"KAIO-KEN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Bra had just exited the small house she had been told she and Dende could reside in upon New Namek when she felt the prick at the base of her neck. For a few seconds she thought it was from Goku and the group who had just appeared in the center of town and had already brought a large crowd. The Namekian healers attempting to fix their various wounds, as Dende gave them directions and personally saw to Goku.  
  
It wasn't though; she knew that as soon as Goku leapt to his feet, his face serious and gaze going to the sky. One by one the Namekian people followed his gaze, the sensation spreading over all here. Even the injured Trunks and Tenshinhan were sitting up and looking to the sky. She knew what direction they were all looking, Dende has told her what was out there shortly after they had arrived. It was the direction Earth was in. She wasn't sure what it was though; it almost seemed to be a ki, belonging to a person. That should have been impossible, Goku or God may have been able to sense energy from that far, but she certainly couldn't and neither could the rest of the Namekian's with maybe the exception of Murri their current elder. It was there though, washing over all of them like a visible force.  
  
It took Goku a split second to realize whose power had reached them this far. It was so high he didn't recognize it at first, but it was Medon. The Sayai-jin set his chin into his palm as he tried to figure out how the boy could possible increase his power that much in a single moment. Then it hit him; he had used the Kaio-Ken technique. He and Kaiosamma had discussed teaching it to Medon in depth before the two had entered into the Room of Spirit and Time together. Medon was different then most of them in the fact, that although his power was impressive on it's own, his body could hold much more energy then he had personally. If given enough time for example, he could charge an attack up to epic proportions. Kaiosamma had agreed that it was possible his body could handle the Kaio-Ken while in the Super Sayai-jin state, but not for sure, and certainly not for long. Still it seemed the great master had taught Medon the maneuver in case of an emergency.   
  
Dende lowered his hands from Goku, his healing complete, though the task had drained him some, Goku's wounds had been many and the energy he needed restored to him was great. Some of the other Namekian's were tending to Tenshinhan and Trunks. Bra had also come over to aid in the healing of her brother. Though it had been under two days, she had picked up the basics of manipulating ki to heal quite well. Sayai-jin always seemed to excel in whatever they chose to do. The God of Earth instead set his hand onto Goku's arm to draw his attention. He had picked up another power that Goku needed to know about. He hadn't been sure at first, the sudden flight from Earth, and the loss of Popo had disoriented him for sometime, but it couldn't be mistaken now.  
  
"Son Goku, there is another portal opening. It is above the planet in space. An incredible dark ki is within it, and seems to be waiting to come through. You need to return to Earth."  
  
Goku closed his eyes and focused off the planet. Medon was putting out so much ki it was hard to feel anything else, but he did finally sense the newest portal. Two of them in fact, miles apart, but they were huge, easily a hundred times larger then the ones upon the Earth itself.  
  
"Damnit! What are they doing now? Keep healing Trunks and Tenshinhan, I'm going back to Earth. Medon may burn himself out soon if he keeps going at the level he's at now. I'll be back if I can."  
  
Then using his Instantaneous Movement, Son Goku vanished from the surface of New Namek.  
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Laele felt like she was covered in a fog as she slowly came to her feet. A moment ago the battle had been won, Zilvra was slowly beating the Sayai-jin to death while Kale held him still. Now Kale was on the ground, screaming and staring at the stump where his arm had once been, Zilvra's mouth was open in amazement as she looked between her destroyed wrist blade and the enraged enemy who floated before her.  
  
Zilvra couldn't believe what had just happened, they had been winning and now this. It wasn't possible. It had occurred though, and now she had to figure a way to contend with it. Medon's power had shot up to a level she could barely comprehend. If Kale was uninjured and Laele joined in the battle they would maybe have a slim chance of defeating him. Her twin was in shock though, and Kale's entire arm was gone.   
  
All three daemons felt a cold chill go down their spines as Medon screamed again, streaks of electricity leaping around the arena, his power rising again as he let his temper flare. They had threatened his sister, his family, and his life. They were all going to die.  
  
No one noticed as Goku reappeared in the destroyed stands that circled the ring. He let his dark eyes go to his grandson who hovered above the center of the ring. He had become the embodiment of flame and fury. He wasn't sure if he'd even be able to calm him. He'd need Pan, if they let Medon beat these three then calmed him down before he went off looking for more they could regroup and end this today.  
  
Still unnoticed Goku again vanished from the Tenkaichi Bodoukai ring, as Medon renewed his attack on the assassins. Zilvra had no time to react as the flaming amber fist crashed into her face, her thin nose crunching and splattering across her cheeks, her body being thrown back through the outer wall of the stadium.  
  
Laele felt her knees go weak again as Medon turned his emerald eyes down to her and Kale. She saw his gaze flip between the two of them for a minute before locking on the giant. His hands went down to his side, cupping there, as a blue ball of energy formed in his grasp.  
  
"Kame....hame......HA!"  
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High above the planet, space distorted as the portal to the other dimension flared with energy. Space warped and twisted as the tip of the battlecruiser, Leviathan, personal cruisers of the Magistrate to the Daemon Emperor, Mephiston passed through to orbit Earth.  
  
He watched the battle unfolding before him on the ships main view screen, his throne glowing slightly beneath him. The daemons ships were unique, each had a magical vortex in the center that supplied it with energy, but the commander of a ship could also add their own might to the cruiser's weapons and shields. He looked over to the slender daemon that stood to his right side.  
  
"If they begin to lose, open fire on the Sayai-jin. The boy seems to have an affinity to flames. Let them experience the fire from heaven  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Fire from Heaven

Author's Note: I want to thank all those who took the time to send me letters with your opinions and praise. I've tried to respond to everyone, for those I did miss, thank you, it makes writing that much easier.  
  
Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. Most of the names of daemons and such here in are taken from sources of mythology and religion, though no reference to either is intended. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Language: This chapter had a bit harsher language then previously, there isn't large amounts of it, but please keep this in mind before reading. Rating is still PG-13.  
  
  
Chapter 6: Fire from Heaven  
  
  
Goku reappeared in the heart of the Western Capital as the impact of Medon's Kamehameha upon the surface caused the entire planet to shake, the Sayai-jin nearly loosing his footing upon materialization. He gave a glance back to the direction that the battle still raged in. They were cross-continent and he could still feel the energy as if it was right next to him. That meant Medon hadn't dropped out of Kaio-Ken yet.  
  
Pushing the thoughts aside Goku turned back to the area he had teleported into. Pan should have been right near here, he had locked onto her ki the moment he had used his Instantaneous Movement. Then the ground shook again and this time he did lose his balance, falling into a sitting position. It was then he noticed the huge hole in ground a few hundred meters off. Pan and the daemon she was fighting must have ended up underground. That was why he hadn't appeared right next to her; he had been aiming for the surface, not under.  
  
Standing again, Goku closed his eyes and focused, slowly walking forward and trying to get a better fix on his granddaughters ki.  
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As the smoke around him cleared Kale tried to figure out how he was still alive. The Sayai-jin had fired an enormous energy attack at him; he had felt the power in it. It should have killed him; he had felt it strike him as well and the mind numbing pain as it burned through his flesh and bone. Using his one remaining arm the giant pushed his elbow back to raise himself up. That's when he saw the result of the attack. Both his legs had been vaporized from the knees down, no blood ran from the wound, the ki energy having burnt the limbs clean off. Kale's great strength and constitution were the only thing that had allowed him to survive so far, he only had one arm left though and no way to defend himself, if the boy attacked again, he was as good as dead.  
  
Medon turned away from the crippled daemon, he had fully intended to maim Kale. They deserved to suffer for what they had done. He let his eyes pass over Laele, only hesitating a moment. She was no threat to him; she hadn't even given it her all when she had attacked him. He would decide what to her with her later, her twin was the next one on his list. He could feel small aches beginning in his limbs, along with a tingling sensation in his fingertips. It had to be the Kaio-Ken, if he used it to long Kaiosamma had told him there would be consequences. It just meant he had to kill Zilvra that much faster. Amber flames flared around the demi-Sayai-jin as the ground around him cracked and burst apart, his form streaking off in the direction he had knocked the assassin. He couldn't even sense her, the force of his own power was dulling his senses, or else he'd know Goku had returned to Earth, as well as the presence of the huge ship that now orbited the blue planet.  
  
Zilvra was just getting to her feet when she felt Medon's ki rushing towards her. She brought her hand up to her face, trying to wipe the blood from her eyes before he got there. He had shattered her nose and splattered her face with blood with a single punch. She was injured and tired and he just kept getting stronger. The ki was closer now, nearly on top of her, she still couldn't see, but she wasn't going to give the bastard an easy win. Spinning around, Zilvra brought both her hands up, twin continuous beams of purple energy lancing out of her palms, both her arms weaving rapid patterns in the air as she tried to make contact with one against the oncoming Sayai-jin.  
  
Medon didn't even attempt to dodge the energy lances, if anything he actually picked up speed as he saw the attack. His amber aura flared as he rammed into the twin beams, his hand snapping out in front of him and slapping the energy aside, breaking the tight matrix that held them together.  
  
Zilvra's vision had finally cleared, though everything she saw was in shades of red. She had felt the shock of her attack breaking up and was not surprised when the first sight that greeted her was Medon, in a flat out flight path for her. She threw her arms up in front of her in an attempt to block, and waited for the collision.  
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With a groan Pan pushed herself up to her knees. Irruit had managed to take her totally by surprise in their last few exchanges. The daemoness had managed to move the battle to cramped quarters where Pan's superior speed wouldn't come into play as much, and the assassin's greater physical strength would aid her. It still had been close to an even battle until Pan had made a mistake shortly after they had ended up in the sewers. Irruit had formed a ki spear that she had tossed at the demi-Sayai-jin which Pan had easily dodged without thinking, she had run straight into a full force energy blast though as Irruit had intended. That had been followed with a barrage of blows that had stunned Pan and knocked her quite a distance.  
  
She was just now managing to recover and get up again. Irruit was right behind her though, she'd have to make her move perfectly or she'd be in an even worse situation then before.  
  
"Well little monkey, are you ready to get this over with?"  
  
Irruit was expecting Pan to make a move at any moment if she could recover further. She didn't plan to let her though, the assassin raising her right hand and gathering blue energy around it. She intended to fire a bolt of concentrated cold and freeze Pan to death within seconds. The beam was just reaching completion when the roof of the sewer above her shattered, a fist punching straight down and into Irruit's face, her forehead and cheek on one side crushing in and her body dropping down into the water.  
  
Goku dropped through the hole his punch had created in the ground, landing in the knee-deep water besides Pan. He hadn't killed Irruit with his attack, only injured her, and he didn't have the time or desire to finish her off.  
  
Pan took her grandfathers offered hand and came up to her feet, as she looked him over. He was clad only in the white pants he had been wearing upon his arrival, though they were torn. Dirt and blood caked his chest and face, though he had no visible injuries, thanks to the healing he had received from Dende upon New Namek. His golden hair stood up straight on his head, he was conserving energy it seemed, he could hold Stage One almost indefinitely even sleeping without reverting to normal. She would have to remember to ask him how he managed that; the transformation still took some of her ki to accomplish, which was energy that she could use for battle.  
  
Goku offered her a smile and used his thumb to wipe some of the caked blood from her face. She had become a Super Sayai-jin in the Room of Spirit and Time. He hated to admit it but he hadn't thought she could do it, with the trend of the generation the proceeded her, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, he figured if she hadn't managed the transformation by her late teens it wasn't going to happen. He was delighted she had surprised him though.  
  
"C'mon Pan, we need to go help your brother."  
  
Pan let her senses expand now that she had a break from battle, almost instantly detecting Medon's ki on the other side of the continent. She was surprised she hadn't felt it even while fighting, he had told her he had a technique to raise his power while they were in the Room, but refused to show her. She had figured he was just meaning he could focus more, not anything like this; his power was equal to or slightly greater then Goku in Stage Three if he wasn't holding back. It was more raw though then her grandfather's energy, Medon didn't have over fifty years of control and practice behind him. She had seen him throw a few immensely powerful ki attacks while within the Room of Spirit and Time though; he most likely hadn't reached the maximum his body was capable of holding if he didn't push it to much further. She knew her brother though; he'd probably go beyond his limits if left to his own devices.   
  
"Right, let me just catch my breath a second."  
  
Goku gave her a wink as he set his hand onto her shoulder. She could recover as they assessed the situation upon arrival. Locking onto Medon's ki he activated his Instantaneous Movement and the two of them vanished from the sewers, leaving the injured Irruit slowly stirring in the dark waters.  
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Laele felt all the blood leave her face as Zilvra crashed back into the shattered remains of the Tenkaichi Bodoukai stadium. She watched her sister strike the ground and bounce across the dirt floor until she impacted with the stonewall opposite where she had reentered the ring, sending cracks across the concrete from her impact. To her credit Zilvra was up on her feet and in the air as a gold bolt of ki slammed into the spot she had been a second before, blasting clear through the wall and continuing off into Satan City where it exploded.   
  
Medon came through the hole a moment later, landing besides the ring. The amber flames around him breaking apart as emerald eyes rose to Zilvra. The a smirk crossed his face as the currents of electricity around his body vanished, his golden hair softening, the hard spikes it had been in, dropping slightly into a pointed mass atop his head.   
  
"Your so weak your not even a threat to me anymore, and you, your will to fight is gone. You can leave if you want..."  
  
He had directed the end part at Laele, and he was correct. Seeing the boy in action had crushed her will to fight, she knew she couldn't win that battle. She wasn't to sure of his first statement though, Zilvra was injured but with the amount he had powered down she could probably give him a decent run for his money before he beat her. If she rejoined the battle and attacked before he was able to raise his ki again they could win, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. He was like the demons of this world had been described, a creature of rage and fire, and she couldn't face that. Medon was looking between Kale and Zilvra now, not done speaking despite his pause.  
  
"..you two aren't going anywhere though. Your both going to die here."  
  
Kale heard Medon speaking but he wasn't paying attention, using his one good arm he had managed to pull himself out of the ring and was slowly crawling away. He just needed to get enough energy to teleport himself together and he'd be fine. He didn't care a bit about Zilvra and Laele, but maybe they'd distract the Sayai-jin enough to let him get away.  
  
He was reaching out to pull himself another few inches when he grabbed hold of something other then ground. His red eyes slowly rose up from the dirt to his huge hand and the slender leg he had latched onto. It was the girl that had been fighting Irruit, her black pants and vest a little torn and a few splotches of blood and dirt on her smooth skin but looking relatively unharmed. A man he had not seen before stood besides her, dressed in a ripped pair of white pants. They both shared the traits of green eyes and golden hair that the boy he had been fighting exhibited.   
  
"Shit."  
  
Pan only smiled as she opened up her palm, the golden flare of energy that engulfed his head the last thing that Kale saw before everything went black.  
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Mephiston snarled and backhanded the warrior who stood besides him, knocking the lesser daemon backwards into a wall. He had given his warriors a few more minutes to attempt to salvage the situation because he had not wanted to open fire on the planet itself. He had intended to use Earth as his base of operations in this dimension, the multitude of various technologies the humans had developed and the plush landscape to his liking. That option was gone now; the young Sayia-jin had somehow managed to beat his prized assassins, and Kale. Irruit was also down. He had ordered Ranaghar to stay out of the conflict in case he was needed to recover the others.  
  
The magistrate closed his eyes, his mind reaching out to his protégé upon the planets surface.  
  
~~Ranaghar, get the others that are still alive and teleport to the Leviathan, the situation is lost. We will destroy the Sayai-jin with the secondary batteries from orbit.~~  
  
~~As you command, my master.~~  
  
Mephiston then turned to the ships captain, a daemon who had served under him for nearly three centuries and let several campaigns for the warlord. A nod was all that was needed to communicate his desire. The Leviathan had several batteries of high-powered cannons that would gather pure elemental energy and amplify it into destructive rays. He wanted a surface bombardment to destroy the city and it's occupants, anything more could risk piecing the planets crust and striking the core.  
  
The vast darkness of space lit up for hundreds of miles as the lower batteries of the Leviathan came to life, red beams of energy flashing forth towards the blue planet below.  
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Medon's halted in his advance upon Zilvra, several things occurring at once. The least surprising and the first being the appearance of Goku and Pan to one side of the ring and Pan's blast into the wounded giant, the golden beam lighting up the area. The second was the arrival of a black armor clad warrior in the sky besides Zilvra, he held a glowing two-handed sword in his hand and was speaking quickly to the daemoness before both descended to the ground besides Laele. That didn't concern Medon, it was the red glow that lit up the sky that bothered the boy.  
  
"What is that?!"  
  
Goku's attention had also gone skyward, he had known the cruiser had come into orbit around the planet but had been hoping it didn't have any offense capabilities despite the enormous ki aboard it. He grabbed Pan's arm and tossed her to the ground, moving his body to cover her up. The daemons had done the same, all three focusing energy into a purple barrier around them to help soften the onslaught.  
  
"Medon, get down!"  
  
No soon had Goku shouted his warning then the barrage struck, in the span of a few terrifying seconds, Satan City had been reduced to little more then a twisted heap of melted metal and rubble. The great cannons of the Leviathan continued to fire for nearly a minute, digging huge craters and trenches into the ground and blasting apart everything it touches.  
  
As he felt the elemental beams striking onto his back and around him, Goku had to let a small smile pass on his face. If he hadn't brought Pan here the Western Capital would have been destroyed instead, and there was a few survivors along with Ubuu still there. The daemon warriors had been withdrawn as well, so they should all be ok. Individually the beams hurt incredibly but if several managed to hit him at once he'd be lucky to remain breathing, luckily the attack was aimed at the entire area. The Sayai-jin simply gritted his teeth and dealt with it, despite feeling the skin upon his back blistering and burning beneath the rays.  
  
The attack halted after what seemed an eternity for Pan, huddled under her grandfather, feeling his body tremble with each blast that struck him she struggled to get her head free to see what had happened to her brother. No sooner had Goku tossed her down the attack had begun, Medon couldn't have had time to seek cover. From what she could see even the three daemon warriors had been hurt by the assault, the leader holding his sword high and letting it project the force field that had taken the brunt of the beams, but several holes were visible in the purple field and each had a few smoking wounds.   
  
Goku slowly rose to his feet, helping Pan up as well. They were going to fire again, he could feel the energy aboard the cruiser building up. This time it was focusing more, most likely directly at them. In a blur of movement he was on the opposite side of the blasted ring, besides a large piles of rubble. This was where they'd fire.  
  
"Pan besides me, and Medon get up."  
  
Pan moved to Goku's side, trying to figure out what he was doing. Medon wasn't anywhere to be seen. She was about to flip out and begin shouting at her grandfather, then the pile of rubble besides him shifted.  
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"The targets were not destroyed your lordship."  
  
The magistrate growled and looked at the image upon the huge scrying screen that made up the front of the bridge of the ship. The three Sayai-jin were arranging themselves it seemed to prepare for the next attack of the ship.  
Ranaghar had arrived on scene and protected Zilvra and Laele against the wide range barrage, and was now moving them into the slightly underground area of the ring where the fighters would prepare for battle. It was a smart move, and would probably save them. Not that Mephiston cared about their lives at that moment, he just wanted these three dead and the planet in his possession.  
  
"Fire the main cannon on those three, seventy-five percent of maximum power."  
  
"If we miss the Sayai-jin the main battery will piece the planets surface at that charge."  
  
The unfortunate gunner who had voiced the fact was vaporized a moment later, the rest of the crew rushing to complete their master's orders.  
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Medon had actually taken the full force of several elemental beams impacts, his red gi was scorched in a number of places as was his skin, but his ki hadn't dropped much from the attack. Now he stood besides his sister and grandfather, emerald eyes to the sky.  
  
"Now what are we doing again?  
  
"Their going to fire directly on us, I can feel a huge energy forming up there. Either that or on the planet itself, but I'm guessing us, why put all this effort out just to blow it up? So when the attack comes, we're going to counter it with a blast of our own."  
  
Medon gave a nod even though he didn't quite like that idea. He'd prefer to just dodge the attack but if his grandfather wanted to return fire, they'd return fire.   
  
The dark clouds above lit up and spread wide as the huge yellow beam from the Leviathan split the atmosphere, rocketing down towards the two generations of the Son family.  
  
As one the three Super Sayai-jin cupped their hands at their sides, golden flames springing up around them. Their voices in sounding as one, as the blue balls of energy gathered within their palms.  
  
"Kame..."  
  
The elemental blast came closer, the ground beginning to shake around them as it came closer to the Earth.  
  
"...Hame.."  
  
Goku had waited until it was right on top of them to unleash their attacks so the initial flaring of energy would push the blast upwards. The three of them were bathed in yellow light, the same color as their flaring golden ki.  
  
"..HA!"  
  
All three of them tossed their hands up, the blue energy forming into a single beam several meters beyond their hands and jetting up to strike the energy beam from the Leviathan head on. The huge elemental beam flaring and slowly, nearly halting for a moment, but continuing to push down against the Kamehameha towards the Sayai-jin.   
  
Pan felt her knees buckling under the massive pressure of the elemental cannon; she couldn't believe something was able to generate enough energy to push back against all three of them. The blast came closer as she fell to one knee; her hands remained high though, giving energy to the three-prong counter.   
  
Medon gritted his teeth as he saw his sister weakening, his golden ki flaring as he went back into Stage Two, the on-coming blast from the Leviathan stopping completely as the two become locked in a stalemate. He didn't want to go back into Kaio-Ken his entire body ached from the usage of it, but he didn't see much of an option or they'd simply run out of energy and be overtaken. Then Goku's ki flared up besides him, electrical sparks flaring up around the older man as he also raised his power up a notch.  
  
The elemental beam split clean in half the energy dissipating instantly as another surge of ki rocketed up the triple Kamehameha, the Turtle Destruction Blast continuing on to the source of the attack.  
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The Leviathan rocked to the starboard side, explosions echoing within the armored hull as the ground based Kamehameha broke the gravity of the planet and struck the cruiser full force.   
  
Mephiston stumbled and nearly fell as the side of the ship exploded, a number of his soldiers screaming as they were sucked out into the void. They were acceptable loses, and if they were higher class daemons would be able to survive the cold of space and without air, they were trash though and thus deserved to die for their weakness. The fact the Sayai-jin had managed to defeat the main cannon and damage his flagship though was unacceptable.  
  
He still wanted the planet though and was considering his options when two more gigantic portals tore apart the fabric of reality above Earth. The cruisers Behemoth and Kraken entering into the prime material plane, and carrying aboard them the Lord Magi, Abbadon and the Black Knight, Azazel.   
Azazel was a warrior to the core, he could be reasoned with. Abbadon was a cold, calculating butcher though. Any hopes Mephiston had of keeping the planet fled, if they arrived they would have orders from Emperor Asmodius himself and would follow them without error or care of any personal wants that the magistrate had.   
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Pan groaned and fell out of Super Sayai-jin shortly after they had managed to push the elemental beam from the Leviathan back and strike the ship itself. She had used up too much energy in her fight with Irruit and then in sustaining her part of the Kamehameha. The short mass of her golden hair wavered a moment before fading to black and dropping down to it's original shape. Medon shifted back into Stage One, conversing his own energy for the moment, as he reached down to gently take her arm and help her to her feet.  
  
"What happened to Trunks and Tenshinhan?"  
  
"Grandpa got them off the planet. Trunks said Ubuu had also been fighting, but his ki is so low we haven't been able to find him again yet."  
  
Medon frowned and was about to respond when he noticed Goku still looking up to the sky. The Sayai-jin had also dropped out of Super Sayai-jin Stage Two and into normal form, but he wasn't suppressing his ki at all, which meant he expected another round.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Another two spaceships have entered into orbit above the planet. One is carrying a ki even greater then the one that is aboard the ship that was firing on us."  
  
Pan didn't like the tone of her grandfather's voice when he mentioned the last part. It had wavered slightly, which meant two things, he wasn't sure about their ability to win, and he was also excited about fighting whatever it was, that was up there. That was one trait that hadn't been passed on the later generations, the Sayai-jin desire to push themselves to the limits against superior opponents. Well at least they hadn't previously, she wasn't to sure about her brother anymore, and he was looking towards the passageway the three daemons had gone into green eyes slowly narrowing.  
  
"Well then we better take out those three before the others come down here."  
  
He was off then, dashing across the remains of the stadium towards the underground passage that led to whatever was left of the locker rooms and the three daemons that waited within.  
  
"Medon wait!"  
  
Goku gave a slight wave of his hand to stop Pan's protest to her brother. He was right; they wouldn't need anymore distractions if the ki's he felt aboard the ships came to the surface. They'd be lucky if they were able to handle one of them, even if all three of them participated in the fight. After a minute of simply sensing, he had managed to pick out five separate ki sources that would prove challenges if they came down to fight, four were new arrivals. Three were probably capable of fighting off all three of the Sayai-jin with barely breaking a sweat, the other two he thought were maybe beatable if they went all out.   
  
"No let him go, we need those three either running or unable to fight. Take a moment to rest here, I'm going to try to locate Ubuu and get him out of here."   
  
With a reluctant nod, Pan shifted off her knees into a sitting position. Admit it or not, she needed a break.  
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Azazel looked out his cabin's window to the sparking form of the Leviathan that had just appeared on the port side of his battleship, the Behemoth. Small explosions were still occurring inside, the attack from the surface having crippled the ships one side almost entirely. It didn't matter; this was all going to end now.  
  
The daemon knight, Azazel was the Supreme Commander of all the armies of the Dark Dimension. He was also the Black Knight, Champion of the Emperor and leader of the elite warriors of the realm. It was not a bad station in a life where power was all that mattered; he was not like his kin however, possessing a strict code of honor that dictated his every action. Above all though was loyalty to his master. He was under orders to end the conflict, though the swiftest means necessary. That was why he had brought Abbadon, the Lord Magi and his cruiser as well. Abbadon had a number of mighty spells at his command, and his ship was designed to enhance his energy channel abilities.   
  
Red eyes flashed as his telepathic abilities reached out between the ships, contacting both the Lord Magi and the Magistrate at the same time.  
  
"Mephiston, you have failed to initiate a favorable beginning to this campaign. You are favored by Asmodius so you shall not be punished. This world is forsaken though, as are your agents upon it if they cannot flee through their own power."  
  
Azazel picked up both Abbadon's amusement and Mephiston's fuming rage through the telepathic bond. The Magistrate was incredibly powerful and skilled in his form of manipulation but he had made the wrong choices in this campaign. It was one of his few failures.  
  
"Lord Magi, you may begin our assault at will."  
  
"As you wish. To bad Mephiston, it was such a pretty planet. Was."  
  
Then Azazel broke off the telepathic communication and went to the bridge of his ship to watch the assault. He did hope the warriors Mephiston had sent to the planet managed to escape, it was such a shame to lose those loyal to the cause.  
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The field was about to break. Ranaghar had used his own innate magical abilities and those contained within his arcane blade to put an energy field in the path he had retreated with Zilvra and Laele, it was buckling now though under the assault of the demi-Sayai-jin that had pursued them into the tunnels. The teenager had landed about a half dozen punches against the force field so far, another few and it would break. The only thing that had helped it stay up so far was Medon had taken a few seconds to power up again after his first two attacks hadn't broken though.  
  
He was beginning to worry now though. At the current level of energy that the Sayai-jin was at, he wouldn't be able to defeat him alone. Laele was almost uninjured and would probably be able to hold him for awhile if she got into the fight, but Zilvra was in no condition to give aid, she'd probably actually hinder their efforts. He also needed to converse his own energy for the expected escape from the planet after the last message he had received. Mephiston's order had been short and to the point.  
  
"Flee at the earliest opportunity."  
  
To teleport though Ranaghar would need to drop his field, leaving them defenseless for a few seconds. Daemons were not an altruistic race, but he was a solider above everything else, and it was his job to bring his subordinates along when they pulled back unless they were dead, as he assumed Kale was. Irruit had awoken and transported herself back to the flagship. She had also informed him that she had found a human of moderate ki upon her awakening within the sewers. Ranaghar assumed it was the same human that had attacked Kale earlier in the day.  
  
Turning his snake-like eyes flipped to Laele. Of all his troops she was the most expendable in his opinion. She was powerful, but to soft in the heart, it had caused her to fail before, as it had this time. She would be the distraction.  
  
"Hold off the Sayai-jin while I escape with your sister. Then you may follow."  
  
She turned toward him, intending to object, but at the intensity of his stare she only lowered her eyes and gave a short nod of her head. Despite her misgivings she couldn't just leave her sibling to die. She could give them at least a few minutes.  
  
The choice of when to drop the force field was made then as the golden flame sheathed fist of Medon burst through the purple wall, causing the energy matrix to break down and send small bursts of energy in every direction, burning small holes in the wall.  
  
Stepping in front of her teammates, Laele firmly planted her feet onto the stone floor and waited. The crackling electrical sparks reached her a moment before Medon rushed in.  
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Son Goku was again looking at the sky. Ubuu's energy had vanished a moment ago. That meant he was either dead or had someone gotten off planet. He hated to admit it but he suspected the former, Irruit's energy had flared briefly just before the warriors had disappeared.   
  
Goku's senses were also blurred; a huge energy surge had formed again in orbit from one of the two new ships that had arrived a few minutes ago. It easily outclassed the elemental cannon that had fired on them previously. He suspected the level of pure ki to be about five to six times that. Even at full strength a triple Kamehameha from the three of them wouldn't drive it back, and with Pan and Medon both tired that wasn't an option.   
  
He was about to teleport up to the ship above and destroy it from the inside when he felt the a ki within the ship rise dramatically within a few seconds, at the same time the elemental energy he had been sensing peaked. They were firing again, this time the blast wouldn't be stopped.   
  
"Shit!"  
  
Pan looked up from the ground with her grandfather's shouted curse. Less then a second later he roughly grabbed her arm and shot off in flight towards where Medon had gone after the daemons. They had so little time, as the end descended upon them. Goku knew there was no time to save anyone else, but he had to try to reach his grandson.  
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Ranaghar smiled as he watched Medon crash into Laele, the assassin grabbing hold of the teenager and directing their path sideways, the two crashing through the wall of the hallway. He could hear the thumps of fists against flesh and more stone being bashed to dust as the two progressed through the ruins of the stadium. She would hold him until he was gone/  
  
Zilvra was only half-awake as he gripped tight to her belt. He briefly thought she was lucky Kale was dead; he would have taken great advantage of her in such a state. With a low chuckle, his energy spread outward soaking over both of them, their body's dematerializing and turning into magical energy that shot up to the Leviathan overhead. His last view before the two of them vanished was Goku sliding to a stop before him and looking down the side passage as the rumbling began announcing the coming of the beam.  
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The Behemoth shuddered and the dark blue hull lit up a bright orange as the magical essence of its' master ran through the ship. Abbadon was the Lord Magi of the daemon realm and possibly the most powerful manipulator of energy that had ever existed within it. Physically he was barely above average, but he excelled in every other way. So it was with his cruiser, the Behemoth. The ship was a marvel of design, able to take his own energy into it and add the power of it's own magical generators into a huge destructive blast. It was the pride of the fleet, capable of turning a star into a black hole with a single blast.  
  
Now it unleashed that power upon the Earth. Abbadon did not have them aim for the Sayai-jin in some hope of killing them with the beam. He had the ship go to the opposite side of the planet and fire into the ocean. They would have no chance of intercepting the beam and somehow turning it aside. In a single action he would end his conflict, destroying all resistance in his dimension, and embarrass his chief competition for attention in the eyes of the Emperor, Mephiston.   
  
The Behemoth gave a single last shake, a point of glowing orange and red energy forming at the pointed trip of the almost triangle shaped ship, then the blast streaked forth, lighting up the sky of the planet below and space for hundreds of miles in every direction.  
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Goku had stopped only briefly when he reached the two teleporting daemons. He had to make sure Medon wasn't in the mix of bodies that was being taken off planet. Then he had heard the noise that was echoing through the structure. Still holding tight to Pan he shot off after the two warriors continued to move away from him.  
  
Laele had managed to knock Medon skyward after she recovered from his initial assault, the boy crashing upward through the top of the sundered stadium and into the sky. She had quickly followed, their battle taking them higher and higher into the sky. Both oblivious of the on-coming danger or the two members of his family that chased them, the barrage of punches and kicks from their opponent taking their full attention.  
  
Then the energy beam from the Behemoth split the sky. The clouds being torn from the planet as the atmosphere burned up on its contact, the sky, whether day or night turning a sickly red as the beam hurtled downward. The entire planet shook as it struck, burrowing deep through the crust and into the molten core. Still it did not stop, from space the sight was quick spectacular from the bridge of Azazel's flagship, the Kraken. It seemed as it a lance of energy had stabbed into the planet, piercing one side and emerging from the other.  
  
Goku was just emerging from the stone ruins when the beam hit and all time was gone. He wouldn't reach Medon or even the daemoness. The two of them were over a mile up and moving away from him. He looked down to Pan and saw the same realization on her face, and the tears in her dark eyes. Closing his own he put his fingers to his forehead and the two Sayai-jin vanished.  
  
Medon and Laele both ceased their attacks when the elemental blast entered into the atmosphere. Realization dawning upon both of them what was happening, Laele though of teleporting but with the distortions in ki to the area from the cannon she had no clue where she would end up, she could well enough teleport into a star. She was just focusing her energy to give a shot when she saw Medon's golden ki flare up as he rushed in at her again. There would be no escape.  
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The three daemon lords, Azazel, Mephiston, and Abbadon all watched form the bridges of their respective ships. It did not take long after the beam had burrowed through the Earth. Cracks spread across the planets surface like it was a piece of glass, molten lava billowing up as it broke apart.   
  
Then in the blink of an eye it happened. The blue gem that was the planet Earth, the pride of the Kaiosamma of the Northern Galaxy, burst apart in an explosion that was visible as far as the distant moons of Jupiter. Then there was nothing but the void.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Lost Souls

Author's Note One: This chapter was of course scheduled to be out almost a week ago, but the recent events that have occurred in the world have made me unable to keep on the schedule I set for myself. I give my deepest sympathies to any who were effected by the tragedy and encourage those who read this to donate anything they can to help the rescuers and victims.  
  
Author's Note Two: I've started a second work, Dragonball: A Lonely Place of Dying. I'm trying to work on both of the stories at once but I may slow down on getting chapters out. I'll still try to get two a month out for After Earth though.  
  
Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Language: This chapter had a bit harsher language then previously, there isn't large amounts of it, but please keep this in mind before reading. Rating is still PG-13.  
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
By Blood Wraith   
  
Chapter 7: Lost Souls  
  
Dende was thrown from his feet as the shockwave rocked across the surface of New Namek. Son Goku had teleported into the center of the village close to five minutes before with Pan. The Sayai-jin had said very little, only looking into the sky with an almost forlorn look on his face. Pan had been almost paralyzed upon arrival, her fingers gripping onto her grandfather's arm hard enough to leave them white. Bra had just been approaching the two to find out what had happened when Pan had lost her composure completely. Her slender arms jerked suddenly pushing the surprised Goku away from her as she let loose a scream. Her ki shot up, sending a ripple across the ground around her and causing the entire area to shake, as she let loose the full force of the loss of her brother and the Earth upon the surface of New Namek.  
  
"Medon! Noooooooooooo!"  
  
She most likely would have inadvertently destroyed the small Namekian village if left to vent her grief. Her ki had caused the ground around her to buckle more, chunks of rock and dirt breaking free and taking flight. God was just rising to his feet again when the distortion stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Brushing his robes off Dende looked to where the demi-Sayai-jin had been standing. She had fallen to her knees, breaking down into sobs. The healed Trunks besides her, a strong hand softly patting her on the back while he tried to calm her, not really talking of anything in particular, but just giving her something to focus on. Goku had also regained his footing and was looking at his granddaughter with sad eyes. The Sayai-jin didn't really know what to do or say to her. It had been his choice to teleport off Earth. He really hadn't had much choice, if they hadn't left at that moment they would both be dead. It still hadn't made the choice any easier.  
  
Medon had still been on the planet. At the moment the elemental cannon of the Behemoth had impacted on Earth, the teenager had still been fighting one of the assassins that had attacked Goku. It had been impossible to reach him in time; Goku had tried, and thus barely been able to save Pan or himself. Despite all his planning and all their training, they had lost. Medon, billions of people, and the Earth itself, they had all been destroyed.  
  
Bra had joined the small group around Pan, taking Trunks spot in attempting to soothe the pain of her friend. She hugged the smaller woman tight, smoothing her dark hair and rocking her softly. Pan just cried, she had lost the last person she utterly and completely loved. It was true her grandfather had returned, and they still shared a bond. This was her brother though, and after the loss of her mother and father, it had managed to finally break her. Trunks watched the two of them a moment longer before giving his sister a pat on the shoulder and telling her to take care of Pan. Then he went to join Goku who had moved off to the side with Dende and was retelling him of the events that had occurred.  
  
"We didn't have any chance once the battlecruisers arrived. The ki's on them were completely mind-boggling. All three of us together probably wouldn't have been able to beat the weakest one. When they opened fire on the planet, all we could try to do was escape."  
  
The Sayai-jin let out a sigh, glancing briefly at Trunks as the middle-aged man joined them. Trunks had discarded his shattered armor. The fight with Kale had cracked his chestplate and rendered it just useless weight. He still wore the black bodysuit, boots, and gloves. Bra having abducted his coat when she had gone to console Pan, draping it over her.  
  
"You would have been proud of him if you had seen it Trunks. The three of you did an amazing job in training him. The daemons didn't have a chance against him."  
  
Goku would have continued but he felt a lump form in his throat. He hadn't shed tears for years, even as he lost friends in various battles. He would not do so now either. He just needed to rest.  
  
"What now Son Goku?"  
  
God's words brought Goku back to the present. It was a good question. He was sure the daemons would come after them. He just didn't know when or any other details. After they had lost Earth, all his thoughts on the situation had crumbled. He was totally unaware of Mephiston's desire for the Namek Dragonballs and their power.  
  
"I don't know Kamisama."  
  
Then without another word, Goku turned and walked away from his two stunned friends. For the first time in his life, he knew he had let them all down, when it counted the most. For his failure, most of his friends, family, and many others, were all dead.  
  
Trunks watched the older man head away from them, his path taking him towards the edge of the civilization. Then he turned to Dende besides him.  
  
"I hope he comes up with something and quick. Or else we're all as good as dead."  
  
The last thing Goku heard, as his feet left the ground to take him outside of the village, were the sobs of his granddaughter.  
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Mephiston waited in the audience chamber of his flagship. Abbadon and Azazel would be arriving soon. The magistrate was not in any hurry to deal with either of them. He had been embarrassed today and lost the planet he had chosen to make use of. His only real hope of salvaging this entire operation was to obtain the Namek Dragonballs before the rest of the forces reached the planet. Thankfully there were hundreds of other planets with advanced life they could set upon, and New Namek was a good bit out of the way. Plus there were other concerns that would divert at least Azazel. Abbadon would be a bit more challenging. The Lord Magi was always competing with the Black Knight and Mephiston for praise and seeking to gain more attention from the Emperor Asmodius.  
  
Despite his desire for the two to not show for sometime, the magistrate did not have to wait long. Azazel, the Black Knight was the first to arrive. While Mephiston commanded the whole of all the assault legions that expanded their territory, Azazel was the Supreme Commander of the armies. He was in charge of who received what troops, and the defense of the capital of the Empire, the planet, Dis. He was also a spectacular combatant, and carried out the Emperor's will without question, a warrior with honor in a race that had none. Thus he was as much a hindrance as an asset at time. Most especially in times like this when he had a mission and no path to follow to the end, he would take the route his morals guided him though. Usually it tended to be the most direct route, not the easiest, or the one that brought the most profit.   
  
Mephiston had to admit though he did look the part he fulfilled in the magistrate's opinion, a pasty. That was not the opinion of the Emperor however unfortunately. Azazel had served upon Mephiston many years ago, and had not changed since then, even as his exploits brought him to a position of power. The daemon lord stood at seven feet tall and probably weighed close to five hundred pounds of dense muscle and bone. His skin was pure white, though red and black tattoo's of power were visible tracing patterns across his face and baldhead. His pupil-less eyes were a deep blue, and would glow when he unleashed the full of his power onto an unfortunate opponent. Mephiston felt bit of disgust at the sight of his former sub-commander. Azazel appeared quite human now that he thought about it, and most likely would be considered a handsome specimen at that. It couldn't be helped though; pure blood daemons were quite rare in this age, the interbreeding having diluted the race as the ages past. Azazel entered the room with an air of quiet dignity, his pure black plate armor not making more then a whisper as he assumed a seat on the opposite end of the table as Mephiston. They did not exchange greetings; none were needed, as they existed to complete a mission at this point, nothing more.  
  
The two sat in silence for nearly an hour before the Lord Magi, Abbadon finally arrived on the Leviathan and made his way to the meeting room. Where Azazel had an almost human look, Abbadon was quite the opposite. He was completely horrid in his natural form. His basic shape was indeed humanoid, though he stood at eight foot tall hunched over. His skin was a sickly gray shade, covered with small bumps and spikes that served to protect him better then any daemon-made armor. His face resembled a skull more then anything else, glowing red eyes set beneath a cluster of horns, which resembled a crown. A number of barbed and razor tipped tentacles extended from his shoulders and the sides of his torso, seeming to be in constant motion as they writhed about his body. His great wings were folded behind him, the cramped corridors of the cruiser not suited to his large body.  
  
He gave a snort as he entered into the room and saw the two sitting in silence. Abbadon didn't like either the Knight of the Magistrate, and knowing his delay had left them in an uncomfortable position pleased him greatly. Still a bit of social grace was needed with ones peers.  
  
"Forgive my lateness, I had several tasks that required my direct attention. The firing of the main battery tends to be quite a strain on the Behemoth. She is not as new as your glorious ships."  
  
The remark was aimed at Mephiston, Abbadon was aware of his desires to use Earth as a base to stage attacks on the rest of the system. The scowl of disgust that passed on his rivals face proved that the other daemon was indeed quite displeased with its' loss.  
  
Azazel rose from his seat then, stopping any more comments from either of the two. He was without a question stronger then Abbadon, and Mephiston though his power was awesome in every respect, had serious questions regarding the current strength of his former lackey, he was only seen Azazel in battle twice. The first time had been under his command, and a sight to behold, the second had been in defense of the capital. Neither had reached the Black Knight's limits, and Mephiston did not want to be the one to test them in a fair fight.  
  
"Both of you silence. This is not a meeting for bickering. We are here to discuss the current plans to finish the complete subjugation of this dimension. Lord Mephiston, please report on what you know and the plans you have formed at present."  
  
"You both know my initial plan upon the assault on this realm. Baal was expected to be all it would take. With Vecna and the force at his command he should have been able to defeat the resistance we expected. The arrival of the Sayai-jin Son Goku, and the sheer power that some of the others that survived the initial assault have demonstrated was completely unexpected."  
  
Abbadon had doubted the strength of the resistance up until this point. That was until he saw the injuries Mephiston's assassins had suffered in battle. He did still want a better classification of their abilities though.  
  
"How strong would you estimate they are? Would they pose any threat at all if one of us was to take the field of battle, instead of sending mere soldiers?"  
  
"No I do not believe so. I cannot be sure of it though. They should not have been able to defeat Laele and Zilvra either, yet somehow the boy Son Medon managed to do so. In her debriefing Zilvra stated he used some sort of technique that increased his power and speed dramatically.  
  
We also have a problem in the fact all four of the surviving Sayai-jin were injured but not killed. When badly wounded and restored to health Sayai-jin's battle prowess and physical power actually increases. Thus any estimates of strength we had on them previously would be completely inaccurate.   
  
Still to appease your curiosity. In his ultimate transformation Son Goku would be about twenty-five percent stronger then Zilvra. Son Pan seems to be equal to Irruit at the peak of her ability. Trunks Briefs is slightly stronger then Ranaghar from what I saw of his battle with Kale and Irruit. Son Medon had a highly changing power during his power, he ranged from anywhere from ten percent stronger then Zilvra up to nearly three times her ability near battles end when he crippled Kale and wounded her."  
  
Azazel said nothing as the magistrate spoke; Abbadon on the other hand only gave a snort and a chuckle, his clawed hand waving in the air, completely dismissing the other daemons words.  
  
"So they're stronger then your little bunch of killers? That will make very little difference if we bring all our resources to bear on them. All Azazel needs to do his bring the Knights into his dimension. Belial and Andariel, both only of the Second Order, should be more then capable of destroying them with ease."  
  
Mephiston was about to interject on the suggestion. He did not need the Knighthood coming into this dimension. Upon doing so they would take control of almost all aspects of the operations, and that would mean getting in his way. As he opened his mouth to speak though, Azazel rose from his seat.  
  
"Your suggestion is noted Lord Abbadon. I shall take it into consideration while issuing my orders. We, of the Knighthood were ordered into this dimension by the Emperor just before I arrived upon the Leviathan. The first order of business shall be to locate Lord Mephiston's missing warrior. We do not abandon a valuable asset such as Laele without a second though. After that we shall begin to move outward from the Sol System, conquering as we progress.   
  
Lord Mephiston you shall locate the remaining Sayai-jin and do what you can to learn their capabilities. I shall assign Ahriman of the First Order to your command and to assist you in your task.  
  
Lord Abbadon, you will return to the homeworld and concentrate on the rituals to bring the capital through a portal once we have secured this area. Prince Duriel shall be there to aid you, as well as bring the word of the Emperor when needed.  
  
I shall secure this region where the portal shall be opened, as well as attempt to find a way to open a portal to the realm where the gods of this universe reside. Belial and Andariel will be dispatched to seek out your missing warrior and the young Sayai-jin she was seen in battle with. If she managed to use her teleportation power they should be within a few light-years and locatable."  
  
Without another word, the Black Knight turned upon his heel and left the meeting chamber, leaving the two Lord Commanders staring after him. Abbadon simply blinked out a minute later returning to his own ship to carry out the commands he had been issued. Mephiston sat for many minutes in thought after the two had left. The knight at his side would present some trouble to his plans but without knowing it Azazel had helped him with his operation. He could set his sighs and attentions fully onto New Namek and acquiring its' Dragonballs.  
  
The Black Knight had also once again revealed his weakness. He had made a good show of saying they should recover a valuable solider, but Mephiston knew the truth. When Azazel had been just a warrior under his command he had used the powerful knight as a breeder with the lesser species they captured to produce powerful hybrids. Laele and Zilvra were both his daughters, and though Mephiston had raised them since their birth, their father had kept an eye on them. Weakness like that could be manipulated; perhaps the invincible knight was not as strong as he appeared. He also had quite a plan in mind for the Sayai-jin, and with the present Irruit had brought back with her from Earth, it would be all that much more effective.   
  
The laughter of the Magistrate echoed through the corridors of the Leviathan, startling the crewmen who were still trying to repair the torn hull where the Sayai-jin's triple Kamehameha had struck the ship.  
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Bra gave a loud yawn in the confines of the small house she had been given upon New Namek. The action actually served to wake her up, the young woman having just about reached the point of dozing off. The demi-Sayai-jin gave a sigh and looked to the bed upon the floor just off to her side. Pan was sound asleep, the bit of noise from Bra's yawn and her shifting to get more comfortable not enough to rouse the sleeping woman. Pan had been both physically and emotionally exhausted when she and Goku had arrived on New Namek, it hadn't take her long after her fit within the village center to fall asleep once Bra had brought her inside and gotten her to relax.  
  
Reaching out a slender hand Bra smoothed the hair off her friend's face, Pan's pert nose wrinkling up as the brief contact on her cheek, stirring in her sleep, but not waking. She had been talking every so often, usually something in regards to her parents or her brother. Most were mumbled and hard for Bra to make out though.  
  
The young woman was just getting ready to crawl into the other bed and get herself some sleep when the two figures entered into the house. One was Trunks, he apparently hadn't slept either, and the bags under his eyes were a testament to his exhaustion. The other was one of the few people of the Namek that still followed the path of the warrior. Bra had only met him a short while ago, if she remembered correctly; she thought Murri had called him Hammer. The ki coming off him was quite impressive, not to the level of her father, or really any of the Sayai-jin but probably a bit higher then Tenshinhan was at.  
  
Their conversation had ceased as they entered into the house, Trunks slumping into a sitting position on the floor against the opposite wall. Hammer gave Bra a nod of his head in greeting then turned and exited the house again, taking up a position besides the door. Bra shifted her glance to her brother as the Namek left.  
  
"What's he doing out there?"  
  
"Something about not letting anyone disturb our rest. He reminds me a lot of Piccolo actually, he has a bit of a rough exterior but a powerful and honorable fighter is in there. The speed you've managed to learn how to heal impressed him, plus he said Pan and I would probably help to save his planet, so he wants us to sleep in peace."  
  
"Oh, well that's nice. I guess. In any case, what happened on Earth exactly?"  
  
"I don't know all the details honestly. All I can really tell you is these creatures, the daemons or whatever you want to call them. They're powerful beyond imagination. Even with all our extra training, Pan and I were only able to fight the weaker ones we encountered that weren't rank and file troops. Even Goku hit a stalemate against some of the stronger ones. I don't know how Medon did, I only felt his ki, and I didn't get to see any of his fight. I do know this though, we're in trouble."  
  
"It can't be that bad. We have the Namek Dragonballs as soon as they're recharged. Murri said they used them to help with some rampant weather patterns over five months ago; they should be ready for usage again any week now. We can wish back the Earth and all our friends can't we?"  
  
Trunks closed his eyes as he continued to speak to his sister, he needed some sleep but wanted to make sure she understood the situation fully. Bra had been sheltered most of her life, to call their father overprotective of her would have been an understatement. Vegeta's motto on things when it came to Bra was, if he didn't think they were good for her to vaporize them. She had never seen anything like this, even the corrupted Shenron's hadn't been this bad.  
  
"That's not what I meant Bra. What good is it to bring everything back if we can't stop these things? We could bring everyone back to life a dozen times, but if everyone keeps dying it does no good. We need to find a way to win, and from the attitude Goku had when he left for the mountains to meditate, I'm not sure if that option is there."  
  
The demi-Sayai-jin's eyes snapped open a split second after he finished speaking as a strong hand grabbed the front of his bodysuit and yanked him forward. Pan was awake. The young woman's beautiful face was twisted into an image of grief and rage as he dragged Trunks down level with her visage.  
  
"Don't you ever say that again! Do you understand me? My parents and brother didn't die for something we can't win. We will find a way to beat these damn creatures. I don't care if you give up, I'm going to fight them with every beat of my heart and breath in my body."  
  
Trunks gently disconnected her grip in the front of his black bodysuit, she had twisted enough it had become hard to breath. He didn't let go of her hand though once he had done so, giving a short glance at the surprised Bra to the side before he focused on Pan before him.  
  
"I'm sorry Pan. I didn't mean to say that. It's just none of this is going to be easy. I'm scared, just like all of us are. We have to be realists. We don't know how this is going to turn out. I am with you though, we will give this our all."  
  
"Pan he's right, Dende even said that the people of Namek are now ready to fight with us to the very end no matter what. Let's all just get some rest ok? Morning will be here soon enough and then we'll have to figure out what to do."  
  
With a sigh Pan let the anger she had been feeling go. She hadn't meant to snap at Trunks, it was just all the pressure had built to the point she had to yell at someone, that or hit something. The former option had seemed the best, offering the two a small smile in the way of an apology she rolled back onto her side, closing her eyes and seeking the sanctity of sleep once again. Despite what she had said though the nagging doubts they couldn't win chased her into her dreams, where the daemons waited.  
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Mephiston entered into the inner sanctuary he had constructed within the depths of the Leviathan for his magical and scientific experiments. Within the chamber waited his most loyal minion and the only one he completely trusted. Charon, the Death Knight, had served Mephiston for over five millennia without question and without mercy. Where Charon had originated from was unknown, he had simply appeared at the daemon capital those many years ago and devoted himself in service to the magistrate. His power and limits were still a mystery even to Mephiston himself, but so far Charon had been able to complete every task sent his way, he was Mephiston and the Emperor's executioner. When a Minion of the Empire was found to have failed to betray their post, Charon was sent to eliminate them.  
  
The daemon skull helm the Death Knight wore shifted slightly at his master's appearance. The two yellow pinpoints within the eye slits shifting to follow his passage, the knight did not move from his post though, or speak a word. As he crossed the room Mephiston's form twisted and bulged, the slender humanoid form he had been holding melting away. The daemon stopped before a number of glass tubes that had been placed upon the wall, his long clawed fingers brushing across the surface of one. Inside the green ooze that filled the tube, the unconscious Ubuu floated. His wounds had been healed by the daemon lords magic, and now he had other plans. Red eyes passed over the other tubes and the occupants within, it had taken time for the collection, but it was worth it, and this new warrior was a fine addition.   
  
Turning away from the tubes Mephiston moved over to the scrying orb within the center of the room, his clawed hand gesturing for Charon to approach. He had to point out the Knight's next target after all. They were going to head for New Namek after all, and for his interference Son Goku would not be allowed to live.  
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A shooting star passed across the black sky of New Namek, a chunk of rock or such burning up on its' path into the planet's atmosphere. Goku wasn't sure whether to consider it an omen of ill or good fortune. With the way things had gone as of late he seriously hoped it was the latter. The Sayai-jin had known things were bleak when he returned to Earth, but there was no way he could have expected they would take the turn they did. His friends, family, and even the planet he had loved, were gone. They had the ability to bring it all back, but it wouldn't serve them well at all to do so at this point, it'd only be gone again.  
  
If the daemons keep pushing on and reached New Namek, they would fare even worse in the confrontation. They had all increased in power a bit since the battle upon Earth, and Tenshinhan was present, as well as the warriors of New Namek, Hammer and Anvil being the most powerful of those, but it wouldn't be enough. On Earth they had given all they had and still failed, if the daemons sent even more powerful forces to this planet, they would stand no chance at all.   
  
He was so tired he couldn't even think of a viable plan to try to win the coming fight. Dawn was fast approaching and he hadn't rested even a second. After he had left the village he had flown far across the surface of New Namek to a secluded region, there he had meditated and trained further in solitude. He was exhausted. With a sigh the Sayai-jin took to the air to fly back to the village and get some sleep and some food, he was starving. That was when it hit him, he could barely feel the ki, so far away was it, but it was defiantly there, along with one other. Somewhere and somehow, they had gotten off Earth. Goku didn't know how and didn't care, but they had to find a way to get to him, the ki was to weak to lock on for a teleportation. White ki flared up around the Sayai-jin as he rocketed back to the village, he had to tell Pan. Medon was alive.  
  
  
  
  



	9. Resurrection

Author's Note: This actually was supposed to wait until late in the month to be released. I hit a bout of incredible writer's block half way through the first chapter of A Lonely Place of Dying though, sooooo this is what is getting put out instead. (And take that as a lesson for you other writers, don't plan the middle to the end of a story and then hope the beginning just comes to you)  
  
Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Warning: This and later chapter's are going to get into some darker areas, so if your easily bothered don't read on. Rating is still PG-13 for violence, language, and minor implied sexuality.   
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
By Blood Wraith   
  
Chapter 8: Resurrection  
  
The blue moon of the Planet Erinyas had sat in desolate silence for a millennia. The occupants of the dark planet below had no desire to travel to the oxygen rich atmosphere, the nitrogen gas they breathed much more to their liking.  
  
The brief flash of a blue star in the distance was the only sign of the explosive end to the planet Earth, so far away. The dark sky was alight then with a white flash, the ground blistering and cracking at the intense heat that was released above it as two figures appeared from nothing.  
  
Laele couldn't see and could barely breath, she was barely conscious and didn't think to focus her ki to stop her need for air. They had been about to die; she hadn't had a way of gathering her energy quick enough to teleport. Then the sayai-jin had latched onto her, one hand covering her mouth and the other hooked onto the front of her breastplate. The moment of contact an overwhelming surge of energy had rushed into her body, disorienting her and sending her right into the teleportation she had been preparing.  
  
Now they were hovering a few feet of above the ground of wherever they were, safe from the explosion but not each other. Medon had gotten his bearings quicker upon their arrival and took advantage of it now. He was tired and sore, and had no desire for a further prolonged battle. The golden aura around him flared to life as he released his grip on the daemonesses mouth. His other hand that had hooked into her breastplate yanking her forward into his waiting knee, the armor across her midriff cracking at the impact.  
  
The slamming contact to her stomach caused Laele to bend over in pain as the air was knocked from her body. Medon rolled around her doubled up form, his hand slapping flat to her back between the two great raven wrings that protruded from her shoulders. Golden ki welling up between his spread fingers as the blast released into her spine, sending her slamming face first to the ground below.   
  
New pain raged through Laele's body, as she lay prone in the dirt. She had absolutely no hope of winning this fight. He had hurt her severely back on Earth, when she had tried to fight him solo, and now he would finish her at his whim. Her wings melted back into her shoulder blades as she struggled to rise. She was almost to her feet when two tightly muscled arms snaked around her body, pinning her arms to her sides and effectively immobilizing her. She struggled against the iron grip for a moment before the man behind her shoulder directly into her ear.  
  
"Knock it off!"  
  
His grip tightened at the order, emitting a grunt of pain from her, the daemoness' thrashing slowly ceased though, as she turned her head to see as much of Medon as possible.  
  
"Why? So you can kill me all the easier?"  
  
"You'd already be dead if I planned that! I really should finish you off, just to protect myself. I won't though."  
  
He released his grip on her then with a suddenness that sent her stumbling forward a few steps. Expecting an attack, she spun about instantly, not even a full arms length from the sayai-jin. Medon had lowered his power level before he had grabbed her. His hair was still gold but somehow softer, and the crackling trails of dancing electricity were gone.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Medon sighed at the question. He should have expected it from her. Her people had no mercy; they gave no quarter in battle, and thus expected none in return.  
  
"It would be pointless. We have no clue where we are, I can't get off here myself and you're far to weak to at this point. Besides I won't want to kill anyone. That's why I spared the giant, and I wanted to destroy him.  
  
Medon stopped then, his jaw clenching as he closed his bright green eyes and pushed down the lump in his throat. He hadn't know he was capable of so much anger until he had actual faced the daemons in battle. His behavior at the time had been contradictory to everything his parents had taught him. Kaiosamma had also warned him of letting his emotions take control, and the increased urge to fight from transforming into a Super Sayai-jin was no excuse. He had barely registered what he was doing when he fired his Kamehameha at Kale, coming aware at the last second and twisting the beam away, sparring the daemon.  
  
The young sayai-jin's aura flickered briefly before fading away, the dim golden glow around him breaking apart as his hair fell into a disarray of soft black stands upon his head. Lavender eyes opened then to regard the daemoness.  
  
Laele knew as he powered down if she wanted to win this fight, now was the time to attack. He was still extremely strong, but she should have the advantage. All she had to do was lunge forward and destroy the boy. Common sense screamed at her to take her chance.  
  
Son Medon saw the indecision flicker across Laele's face. He could guess her train of thought, but he simply didn't care. He was done fighting for now. He met her eyes for several long seconds before turning his back to her and walking away. The wind had started to pick up across the moon's surface, and he wanted to find shelter. He left Laele standing there among the blistered and cracked ground, with only her thoughts to keep her company in the approaching storm.  
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Tenshinhan looked up from the small bowl of food the Namekians had prepared for him. Thought capable of surviving on only water they preferred not to have to do so thus grew a number of crops, mainly various vegetables and fruits. They had carefully determines what was safe for human consumptions and give him some to eat, saying it would help him feel better faster. So he was at the moment when Goku flew overhead, causing a cloud of dust in the wake of his passing, even with the ground some thirty feet beneath him.  
  
Even after being healed Tenshinhan had a distinct ache in his body. He wasn't sure if it was him not having a full recovery from his wounds or the simple unquestionable knowledge that his life-long friend Chaozu was dead, killed upon Earth. Letting a soft sigh, the warrior steeled himself and rose. All he could do was face the future now, so he set off after Goku to learn the reason of the sayai-jin's haste.  
  
Goku's path took him across the expanse of the small farming village to the few houses on the west edge. Tenshinhan could see the white ki field around him vanish as the sayai-jin dropped out of view, most likely landing. Noting the area he went down Tenshinhan set off into a steady run after him. The Namekians on the street or in their homes turned only briefly to regard the three-eyed man as she rushed past them.  
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The Daemon Knight, Belial glanced back at the scanners of the Acheron, the small scout ship that he and Andariel had been given for their assignment. They had left immediately after being given the orders by their leader, Azazel. Still the two had no idea where to start their search for Mephiston's missing warrior, Laele, the daemon figured this was another pointless excursion.  
  
"Why did we get this stupid assignment anyway?"  
  
The daemoness sitting in the pilot's seat didn't even bother to turn her yellow eyes to regard her companion. Belial always tended to complain about whatever assignment they were given, unless it involved killing something. Instead she gave a simple shrug of her shoulders, the multi-layer black plate armor she was wearing shifting with the movement, the noise of the armor the only real sign that she wore any, the steel being almost the exact same color as her ebony flesh.  
  
Belial snarled at the lack of a response, leaning forward over the scanner again. If he were of the First Order, such as Ahriman, or even a prized pet, like Charon he wouldn't have gotten these orders. The daemons black eyes became mere slits against his red skin as he focused his energy on the elemental matrix that made up the ship's operating systems, sending the energy scanning system out even further past the small galaxy that Terra had previously occupied. He would find this missing assassin and then request a front-line assignment, and then maybe he'd get to test his mettle against one of these sayai-jins he had heard so much about.   
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The Namekian warrior, Hammer, glanced up as the ki flaring form of Son Goku dropped to the ground right before him. Excitement was stamped obviously on the face of the sayai-jin, who gave a brief nod and smile to Hammer in regards to the warrior's expression of inquiry, one of his green brows raised. As Goku passed by him into the small house that Bra, Pan, and Trunks slept in, Hammer only gave a slight shrug and a chuckle. He had been hearing stories of these warriors from his fellows since he had been born. They had always termed them unique. That had been an understatement.  
  
Goku stepped into the small house, stopping right inside the doorway to let his eyes adjust to the dim light. As soon as they did he was able to make out the three sleeping forms of his companions. He really didn't want to wake them but this news was just too big to hold back. Trunks and Bra could be told later though they needed rest. His granddaughter would want to know immediately however, and it would probably help her sleep.   
  
Kneeling down next to her Goku put his hand on her shoulder, giving the young woman a soft shake to wake her up. Pan's face had been scrunched up in a scowl in the midst of a dream, and she came awake with a start. Goku barely managed to snap his other hand up from the ground to catch her on-coming fist.  
  
"Whoa there, it's just a dream Pan. You're with friends, relax."  
  
With a soft sigh Pan slowly came into a sitting position. Giving her grandfather a soft smile in the way of an apology for accidentally lashing out at him, she ran her small hand through her short black hair. She had been having a nightmare; dark shadows had been engulfing her friends and family. After a moment of orientating herself she looked up to Goku, wondering why he had woken her and was now kneeling there with a huge grin on his face. Despite all the blows to the head he had taken in the last battle, she didn't think he was that far gone to see anything that was currently happening as worth smiling about.  
  
Goku let Pan wake up, not saying anything as of yet, when a scowl began to form across her face at his expression he figured he better talk before she got angry.  
  
"Medon is alive."  
  
"What?! How?! Where is he?!"  
  
Pan came fully awake at those three simple words, grabbing hold of Goku's muscled arms and yanking him forward. She found it hard to believe, she had seen her brother on the dying Earth as they had teleported away. It was her only hope though.  
  
"I don't know where he is or how he managed to get off Earth, but I did feel his energy. He's dropped his ki now though, so I can no longer sense him wherever he is beyond a dull sensation in a particular direction, but I know it is him. If he raises his power again and there aren't any distortions around him, I'll use Instantaneous Movement to go get him."  
  
The demi-sayai-jin sat there a moment in shock, then smiled and wrapped Goku in a strong hug. Her brother was alive! Goku patted her softly on the back as she fell into a mixture of crying and laughing in his arms. The two of them sat there for many minutes before she quieted and her breathing became slow and regular. Goku tilted his head back to look at her and realized the truth of him. Emotionally exhausted she had fallen back asleep, but this time a smile was obvious on her tear-streaked face.  
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His master had been at work for two days straight. Charon had sat by silently while his lord, the daemon magistrate, Mephiston, had worked his alchemy upon his newest prizes. Even now Mephiston was pouring a thick black liquid into a vat that would send it into the four tubes he had been concentrating on. Beyond the orders that when the time came he was to eliminate Son Goku, his master had not spoken to him since. In fact, Mephiston had not spoken to anyone. Giving only small chuckles and mumblings to himself in the time since he had begun his work, his glowing red eyes never leaving his tasks.  
  
Inside one of the tubes, the captured Ubuu jerked and opened his mouth in a silent scream as the long needles that had been slid into his arms injected the thick black liquid into his body. With a low laugh Mephiston leaned near the tube holding the captive warrior, tapping a long taloned finger against the glass, as one would with a pet fish. Ubuu went limp a few seconds later, the potent mixture doing it's horrible work and moving through his veins, twisting his mind and body.  
  
The task he had been working on had been quite a challenge, even for the experienced daemon lord. This one had been the test subject, he wanted to find a way to allow him full access to his power but to supplement his will. It was not easy. The way the Earth Warriors used their ki was an extension of their will, and thus he had to allow Ubuu access to his base personality to give him full combat potential. It had taken him non-stop working but the alchemical mixture he had made worked in all respects like a form of drug. It twisted the victim's perceptions, thus making them think that they were doing exactly what they wanted. It also increased their power a bit, as if they were on a permanent adrenalin rush. Despite his relatively low power, Ubuu had been the hardest because of his current state of life. The others would be much easier and he couldn't wait for the moment to unleash them on the cursed Sayai-jin who had resisted him and taken his moment of glory.   
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Laele gave a soft yawn and looked across the small fire they had constructed to the young man sleeping in the nook of two rocks. They had been on the moon for two days so far without any sign of rescue. After he had left her, the daemoness had gone in pursuit of Medon and given a promise of peace. She knew he had been right, their battle really was pointless, even more so now that they were stranded.   
  
So they had remained together for the last two days. Things had been relatively unproductive; all they had found on the moon was basic plant life and a bit of water. Laele had left the edible plants they had found for Medon, she was able to go for two months without eating, and the odd sounds his stomach had been making non-stop, though amusing initially got on ones nerves quickly, though they had shared the water.  
  
That had been the previous evening. He had slept most of the day today so as to not have to concentrate on the growling in his belly. She wasn't sure if that meant he was really that trusting or he was just confident he'd feel any increase in her power if she meant to attack him. From the time they had spent talking though she suspected it was a mixture of both, but mainly the former. The more the young sayai-jin had relaxed, the more he had begun to act more like himself and drop the hard shell he had formed around himself for the battle. She had found herself genuinely liking Medon, and regretting more and more that she hadn't given a more vocal dispute to their task upon Earth. He had been a bit cold to her initially but not unkind, and in the past days he had spoken to her in an actual casual manner, as he would someone he met at school. To an extent he probably just needed the company, but she could also see the hope in the depths of his lavender eyes. If he could make her see himself and his people as something more, then maybe it would be possible to convince the other daemons. She hadn't told him, but she knew it was a hollow dream.  
  
With a soft sigh the daemoness rubbed her eyes, pushing a few thick red stands of hair from her face. She knew rationally she had no choice; she had done as she was raised to do, and she would have been killed otherwise. Seeing one of her enemies up close though, as a living being and not just another spot of resistance, was wearing thin on her. For not the first time in her life she wondered who it was she was meant to be, a daemon assassin, or a member of a peaceful race that was long extinct.   
  
She was just going to pull her knees up and try to go to sleep when the ship entered into the atmosphere. Blue eyes went to the incoming vessel trying to recognize it. She hoped it was someone for the sayai-jin but knew better even as it came down to land a few hundred yards away. The markings of the Daemon Knighthood were clearly visible upon its' hull. They were here for her, and would kill Medon. Springing to her feet she dashed to his side, roughly shaking the young man to wake him from his deep sleep. She only hoped he'd have time to hide and she could get them to leave before they knew he was here, then at least his own friends could come get him. For the first time in years, Laele, thought she had a friend, and she didn't want to lose them.  
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Belial came down the ramp from the Acheron onto the surface of the blue moon, strapped on the great war gauntlets he preferred to use in combat. He had put on a lighter suit of the black armor the knights wore, one more similar to Andariel's. They had scanned the surface before landing and were well aware of the sayai-jin's presence on the planet, and from what he knew they tended to be faster then they were strong. He was indeed looking forward to this.  
  
Andariel came down behind her partner, the thin plates of her armor shifting easily with her graceful movements. She thought Belial was being a bit reckless coming down to fight with the sayai-jin and take Laele back, but she couldn't fault him. The last few days had been incredibly dull within the confines of the ship, with little amusement except each other, and they had explored those forms of fun on several past campaigns. Despite his protests she had still send work to Azazel that they had found the assassin and would begin recovery immediately but there would most likely be a spot of resistance. He had authorized elimination however, so she figured that anyway it was done didn't matter.  
  
Besides, if Belial had trouble maybe she would get herself some exercise. She was weaker then the male daemon but since she preferred to attack from the rear while he was occupying them anyway. Yes, maybe this outing wouldn't be as completely boring as she assumed.  
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Medon was yawning and rubbing his eyes, coming awake far to slowly for Laele's liking.  
  
"You have to get up and hide! They're here and will kill you! Please."  
  
She was shaking him as she spoke trying to get him to pay attention to her and now to slowly coming awake. With a small frown Medon reached up and removed her hands from his shoulders, rising to his feet.  
  
"There is no where to go. I was asleep, it isn't like my ki would be hard to detect when I'm not trying to repress it. You stay here, that way they won't try to do anything to you if I lose."  
  
As he turned away, she grabbed hold of his arm again spinning him around to face her. He was actually surprised at the expression her face, it was one of panic, even more so then when he had initiated battle on Earth.  
  
"You don't understand. These are Daemon Knights. Each of them is stronger then Zilvra and I put together, even those of the Third Order. There are two of them out there you can't win. Don't go, run, I'll tell them you took me prisoner and I was waiting for my chance to escape, and we should leave you here to die. Then your friends can come get you."  
  
Medon only smiled at her and gave her hand a light pat before he pulled it off his arm. He had fallen into the same hole she had, had seen his enemy as individuals and not just those to destroy. He knew the evil ones who had killed his parents and friends were already dead, and that others had a chance at redemption. He hoped maybe he could talk to these two that were coming, and if not, he already knew running wasn't an option.  
  
"I hope you can meet my sister someday, you two are actually a lot alike, I think you'd get along."  
  
It was a simple statement but carried more weight in what it meant. He had forgiven her at least, and wanted her to know, no matter the outcome of the next few minutes. Then he lifted lightly off the ground and flew towards the oncoming knights.   
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Belial watched the form rise out from behind some rocks in the distance and fly towards them. He gave a snort of contempt as the sayai-jin came into view. He was built, but quite short, and his power was nowhere near the level that Azazel had said this race possessed.  
  
"Well looks like it maybe another disappointing day Andariel."  
  
"Maybe, but if when win, we can at least have a bit of a celebration so it isn't a complete waste."  
  
Belial gave a lewd smile back over his shoulder at his companion then turned back to wait for the boy to land. He would actually give him a chance; it was so much more satisfying when they thought they could actually win.   
  
As soon as Medon landed he knew there would be no talking to these two. The energies pouring off them was darker then any he had faced on Earth, and the expressions on their faces were indicative of their bloodlust. Still he would at least make an effort, it would at least give credence to Laele's story of being a captive, and if he seemed to want to talk he'd have kept her alive.   
  
"I take it you're here for your companion. I've been trying to explain to her about the universe you've come to conquer and the great people that live in it. I'd be happy to tell you as well, it maybe possible for everyone to simply work together and no need for this mistaken battle."  
  
Andariel nearly fell over laughing as Medon's words. Belial only smirked and shook his head slowly, beginning to slowly walk towards the demi-sayai-jin.  
  
"Seems our intelligence was right on one thing. These sayai-jin aren't that smart at all. I guess ignorance is bliss though, he probably won't even know he's dead until after it's happened."  
  
He was almost to Medon, planning to simply walk up and break the young man's neck. The unexpected golden flash from in front of him blinded him for a split second. That was all that was needed for the battle to be joined.   
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Laele crouched behind the rock pile watching the beginning of the fight begin to unfold. Her keen ears had made out the brief exchange of words before Belial had gotten into arms reach. Seeing his attempt at diplomacy failed, Medon had became sheathed in golden flames and sparking electrical trails. The initial flaring of the transformation had momentarily blinded the two knights, and Medon had taken that opportunity to attack.   
  
His foot had snapped forward, the tip of it sliding across the hard ground and cracking and tearing up the stones as it came forward. His kick had landed hard into Belial's stomach, causing the daemon knight to lurch forward in surprise, Medon had followed up with a uppercut that had launched the knight backward to fly pass Andariel.   
  
It was a good start, but she knew it was only due to the surprise. The two would quickly become organized, and the sayai-jin would perish, and she had no idea what she could do to stop it.  
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Andariel twisted to the side, turning her face to watch Belial hurtle by her. She resisted the urge to laugh as he bounced a few times and rose back to his feet with a snarl of rage. He had been overconfident, which she couldn't blame him for giving what the boy's power had been, but it was still amusing to watch him humbled.  
  
Belial kicked off the ground flying back in at Medon who stood calmly before him waiting for the daemons return. He should have paid more attention to the briefing, though he would certainly have a few words with Andariel about not reminding him about this races ability to transform themselves afterwards.   
  
Waiting for Belial's charge, Medon tried to quell the genuine fear he felt rising in his stomach. This one was much stronger then him even now, and the other one was only slightly less. To drop either one he'd have to land more hits then they did, and he wasn't sure if that was possible. Lack of sleep and food also had him a bit weak. This wasn't the best situation he had been in.   
  
With a growl, Medon pushed all his cares and fears away. They wouldn't help him win. His golden aura flared as Belial reached him, powerful legs sending him into a backwards spring as the daemon knight chopped his hand down in an attempt to crush the sayai-jin, Belial's fist burying itself in the ground and causing the entire area to shake with the force of the impact.   
  
Even as Medon considered his attack options Belial had yanked his hand free and dashed back in, causing the boy to leap to the side to avoid the second blow. He wasn't as lucky for the third though, already in mid-jump, when Belial reversed his momentum and swung about in a strong backhand the war gauntlets crackling with energy struck Medon firmly in the ribs, launching him across the terrain.   
  
As soon as he hit the ground, despite the daze the impact had left over him, Medon kicked off the dirt and rolled forward. The act saved his life, as Belial's fist smashed into the ground where he had been a split second before. The daemon was unbelievable fast and strong. The single blow had done more damage then all the hits he had taken on Earth, he felt one of his ribs floating free cleanly broken. Medon came back to his feet spinning around and firing a golden bolt of ki at his attacker. Belial's armored hand came across swatting the energy attack away as he continued to advance. This would be more challenge then he thought but not much. He stopped short before he reached Medon, his eyes glowing and twin beams of elemental energy lancing out towards the sayai-jin.  
  
Medon swatted one of the two beams away and dodged the other, taking to the air, the block having left his palm numbed and slightly burned. He felt the bottom of his boots superheat as a hurled energy ball from the daemon knight just missed him. He had little hopes of beating his one, much less both in a fair fight. Still he had a plan that might even the odds.   
  
Medon flew low over Andariel, hoping to clear the daemoness before she could react, Belial in fast pursuit. He almost made it, but her ebony hands snapped up her fist crushing into his abdomen as her other hand grabbed his boot. She spun a complete circuit and smashed him into a rock a few feet away, crushing the small boulder into dust.   
  
Belial landed between Andariel and the sayai-jin, watching him slowly rise to his feet. He was moving slower now and blood was visible on his mouth, most likely brought forth from the blow to the stomach that his partner had landed.  
  
"Ready to lay down and die yet?"  
  
Medon gritted his teeth, pushing way the burning pain in his body. He wasn't use to the injuries; he had taken so very few in his previous fights. Flattening his palm he began to focus his ki, preparing the shape he wanted it to take as he slowly came to his knees. When he had one foot planted under him, he pushed off it, spinning around and hurling the ki construct at Belial, less then a foot away.  
  
"Kienzan!"  
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Laele stood up when she saw Medon smashed into the rock. Part of her hoped he would stay down and maybe they would still just leave him. The stubborn young man had refused to give up though and he had taken his feet again. He had then spun about launching what she assumed would be a useless attack.  
  
The spinning energy disc he had tossed moved almost faster then she could see. She did clearly see Belial rotate his entire body to the side, though a trail of black blood did appear on the ground below as the energy cutter sliced through his side, shearing the black armor.  
  
He had not been Medon's target though, the somewhat slower and only half paying attention Andariel, behind Belial was. She just had time to turn around and see the oncoming doom before the kienzan struck her. It slowed only briefly before slicing through the fine black skin of her throat and rocketing into the distance where it exploded as it hit the ground.  
  
Laele could only watch in astonishment, as was Belial, as the daemoness headless body toppled over, her head bouncing besides it, mouth and eyes still wide in surprise.  
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Medon didn't even have time to smile as Belial spun about with a backhand blow that tore a patch of skin clear from his cheek.  
  
"You bastard!"  
  
The words didn't even register on the sayai-jin who was now in flight across the landscape again. Belial had put all his strength and rage into the blow, and Medon was almost senseless. He had gotten one of them though, and had a plan now for Belial, if he could reorient himself in time to put it into effect.   
  
He didn't have time to consider his plan anymore as he was slammed to the ground again, Belial appearing above him and coming down with a two fisted hammer punched that stopped his flight and sent him straight down. The felt the cold metal of the war gauntlets time and time again as the daemon knights fists crashed into his face, chest, and stomach. He wasn't sure if he was standing or lying down after a few seconds had passed, the only sight the blood that had run into his eyes.  
  
Belial had Medon off the ground, one gauntleted hand wrapped tightly aroundt he sayai-jin's throat. The other was held back, fingers extended to deliver the killing blow. This whelp had killed Andariel, his partner. It was unfathomable. With a growl, Belial started to bring his hand forward, then a burning pain spread from his lower back, causing him to drop Medon in shock. Patting at the stop where an energy attack had obviously hit him, Belial turned around.  
  
Laele stood a few feet away, both her hands extended from the launching of her most powerful energy blast. It had barely injured Belial but it had caused him to drop Medon. She didn't know what to do now though, the angry daemon knights attention fully on her.  
  
"You traitorous little bitch!"  
  
Belial opened his palm to fire a beam of elemental cold at her that would kill her on the spot. To hell with his orders, Laele had betrayed them and Andariel was dead. He'd kill these two then go butchered the rest of them. His hand was roughly jerked upward as the energy left his palm though, the bluish white beam streaking off into the sky.  
  
Astonishment on both their faces Laele and Belial both looked to Medon who had someone gotten to his feet and grabbed hold of the knight's hand yanking it upward. His legs were unsteady and blood mattered his face. Laele winced as she saw the piece of skin that had torn off his cheek, what she assumed was bone showing through. Her gaze snapped back to the two as a whole though as Medon spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, and Belial had no clue what the meaning behind it was.  
  
"Kaio-Ken times two."  
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Son Goku, Hammer, and Tenshinhan had been in discussion over various plans they could put into effect when Medon returned, the Namekian and the human warrior having heard the news when Goku exited the house two days previous, when they felt the energy flaring.   
  
The sayai-jin came to his feet, instantly trying to get a firm lock on the ki source that he knew was his grandson. He felt it keenly but the distortion nearby was strong. He would be able to make the teleport but he needed a few minutes to lock onto it. Tenshinhan had to remember to breath as he watched Goku's frown fiercely and tightly shut his eyes, trying to get a keen lock onto Medon's ki. He desperately hoped they'd manage to save the boy.  
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Laele was blown clear off her feet from the amber energy aura that roared up around Medon as he activated the Kaio-Ken technique. The headless corpse some distance off skidded across the ground as the energy waves pulsed over it.  
  
The daemon knight, Belial, was not so lucky. Medon had a death grip on his arm and no intention of letting god. The daemon felt his red skin blister as the aura flickered across his flesh. Mere heat wouldn't stop him though, he would kill this one, and drawing back his free hand he threw a hard punch at Medon's face. Medon simply jerked his head to the side, the blow missing. He did the same for the next dozen, emerald eyes never leaving the knight. As Belial roared in anger and threw another blow, the sayai-jin attacked.  
  
He let go of Belial's fist and ducked under the upraised arm, even as the punch from the other hand sailed by the top of his head, causing his golden hair to sway as if from a great wind. Then he was directly in front of Belial, his feet setting firmly as he turned to face him. His fist came up, slamming in hard against the black daemon armor across the knight's stomach. The metal yielded and cracked apart, the fist continuing on into red flesh that also couldn't stop the force of the blow. Medon had thrown everything he could into that punch, the very act of going into the Kaio-Ken at a higher level in his injured state throwing waves of agony through his body, he wouldn't get anymore then one.  
  
Pushing herself up on her hands to the side, Laele clearly saw the amber flaming fist of Medon emerge from Belial's back between his shoulder blades. She watched is a mixture of horror and fascination as the still alive daemon knight grabbed hold of Medon's face, seeking to crush the sayai-jin. Medon simply tightened the muscles in his impaling arm and finished the upward motion, tearing through armor, muscle, and bone, his arm tore free out of the top of Belial's body next to his neck, a jet of black blood squirting forth of the daemon fell backward, his upper torso literally split in half.   
  
The amber aura around him broke apart as soon as Belial fell. Medon falling right out of Kaio-Ken and Super Sayai-jin Stage Two, and collapsing to his knees, he was hurt more then he thought and the increased energy burning through his limbs hadn't helped.  
  
Laele was quickly to her feet, going to his side to see what aid she could give. Then the black energy flash appeared between the two of them, a single figure stepping out of the dimensional gate onto the moon. A commander never left his troops unmonitored. Medon looked up into the blue glowing eyes of Azazel.   
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The soldiers and officers aboard the Leviathan cowered in their quarters or stations. The laughter of their lord and master, Mephiston, had echoed up from his lab a few minutes previously and had no ceased since. Something had pleased him greatly.   
  
Again in his human guise, the magistrate, finally managed to hold in his mirth at his success. These four were now ready. He had more plans in mind then simply destroying the sayai-jin, plans of conquest in his home realm as well. If the success the sayai-jin had enjoyed so far in stopping the dominance of their home dimension were any sign of the abilities as a whole, these warriors would come in quite handy.  
  
Off to the side, the Death Knight, Charon finally saw fit to speak. Wanting to know his masters motives and make sure his plan was sound.  
  
"Your eminence. Of the four you chose, three were...are dead. Will they be able to serve you effectively?"  
  
Mephiston only turned to regard his minion with a grim smile, his confidence was complete, he had worked to hard for this to fail.  
  
"Of course. I simply trapped their spirits; their will is mine as are their bodies. You will kill Son Goku so there is no mistake there, but the others I will crush their spirits and see them in hopelessness before they did. The living one, Ubuu, I believe he is called, and the three undead warriors will serve me well."  
  
The magistrate cackled again, and looked over his four new creations. He would certainly have to be present when the Earth-born Sayai-jins faced their newest enemies. The best way to kill a daemon was with another daemon, so he had figured, the best way to kill a sayai-jin, was with another sayai-jin.  
  
"Isn't that right my pets?"  
  
Staring sightlessly ahead, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Ubuu had no response. Their resurrection was not something of a heavenly miracle but more like a gift form hell itself. 


	10. Torment

Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Warning: This and later chapter's are going to get into some darker areas, so if your easily bothered don't read on. Rating is still PG-13 for extreme violence, language, and minor implied sexuality.   
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
By Blood Wraith   
  
Chapter 9: Torment  
  
The Knighthood of the Daemon Empire was arranged in a strict hierarchy consisting of three orders. The Third Order was made up of the newest and least powerful knights it was also the largest of the three orders. The Second Order consisted of the more experienced and powerful knights. The First Order were the commanders and veterans of the knighthood, and thus also the smallest group.  
  
Ahriman and Marduke were both members of the First Order. Ahriman was the most powerful of the knights outside of Azazel himself, a veteran of a thousand campaigns. Marduke though a worthy opponent in his own right, was more of a strategist preferring to command troops and operations from the sidelines. Normally they were opponents in their goals, both tending to work on separate missions and seeking to outdo the other. At the present though they worked together on the same mission, the location of the planet, New Namek. They had been assigned to Mephiston to find the remaining sayai-jin but the magistrate had altered those orders. He had explained to the knights that any resistance would be centered on the planet, and thus it was their primary goal.  
  
Ahriman stepped off the floating piece of debris he had been standing on and floated over towards another larger piece a few hundred yards off. The two daemon knights had just recently found the location of the original Planet Namek, which had been destroyed during the battle between Son Goku and Freezer over three decades before. They hoped to use the lingering energy sources from there as their guide to New Namek. As he approached the piece of debris he sought, he caught sight of Marduke with several items floating in front of him within the void of space.  
  
As the other daemon landed besides him, Marduke looked up briefly. He noticed with a bit of annoyance once again that besides the color of their armor the two of them looked quite alike. Both were clad head to toe in spiked adamantine full plate armor. Where Ahirman's armor was primarily a dark blue, with gold trim, Marduke's own suit was mainly black with silver lining and runes across his chest plate. Ahriman's armor also had more built in weaponry, all the plates over his joints and shoulders tipped with razor-edged blades. With a slight snort of discontent he snatched the piece of white stone he had been examining from the space before him and held it out to Ahriman to inspect.   
  
~~This appears to be a piece of the home of the being who was once the guardian of this planet. The energy surrounding it is quite strong, if he or another in his position live we should be able to use it to trace them.~~  
  
Ahriman took the piece and turned it over in his hands, nodding slightly at the telepathic words from Marduke. As powerful daemons neither needed to breath, so the lack of air was only an inconvenience, and the telepathic communication was more effective anyway. He let the shard go and turned pointing to another small chunk of the planet in the distance.  
  
~~The energy over there is clearer then this. It feels as if a massive inner power was released in a single burst all at once. It is also quite familiar to some of the energy that we felt when we were on the flagship above Terra. It may belong to one of the sayai-jin.~~  
  
Silver light danced up Marduke's body for an instant before he vanished, reappearing on the small piece of debris that Ahriman had indicated. Closing his glowing red eyes he felt the energy that still hung strong on this piece of ground. It was quite evident even after all the years had passed. Marduke was unaware of it, but he stood on one of the few surviving pieces of terrain from the area where Son Goku had first experienced his transformation into a Super Sayai-jin. During their battle with Freezer, Kuririn had been slain by the tyrant, the shock of seeing his best friend killed had shattered all the limits hold Goku back, and he had been the first of the modern sayai-jin to reach those lofty heights.   
  
~~There is more then enough residual energy here that if it appears again and we detect it, we can be sure it is the same source. We shouldn't rely on it alone though. After all, the sayai-jin may not be on the planet we are seeking. We should instead seek its' occupants.~~  
  
~~Bah, we should look for both then with equal vigor. If we happen to find and destroy the sayai-jin the rewards should be enough to appease both of us. Consider it a nice little diversion to keep us occupied while we're out here in this black nothingness.~~  
  
Marduke couldn't argue with the true of Ahriman's words. From what they had heard, the sayai-jin had been quite a problem on Earth. If they could locate them and the planet, they would both find rewards beyond anything they had previously imagined. After he gave his nod of ascent to the other daemon, they both vanished from the debris field, innate powers of teleportation taking them to a similar site in the Sol system, where a lush blue planet had been only days before.  
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It was over. That was the only thought that kept pounding itself inside Laele's head. She had been ecstatic when Medon had beaten the two daemon knights, despite his injuries he would get away. Then Azazel, the Black Knight, her father, appeared and all her hopes died.   
  
Shaking away the pain that still tried to blur his vision and ignoring the sticky mess that was the side of his face, Medon raised his lavender eyes up to this newest wall he would have to pass. This one wasn't as big as some of the daemons he had faced so far, but there was something about him that helped quell any confidence the teenager might have felt from his defeat of Belial and Andariel. That and his injuries were beginning to dawn on him now that his initial adrenaline rush had died. His right cheek was crushed and the skin torn free from that section of his face, plus he had suffered numerous bruises and cuts from the severe beating he had received from Belial. One of his ribs was also broken, and he suspected his ankle was sprained. It didn't matter though, he had survived on Earth, and he had survived here. He wouldn't let this one beat him.   
  
Azazel held back a smile as he watched Medon slowly rise up to his feet before him. He had considered simply vaporizing the sayai-jin before he could even react to his presence, but had quickly discarded that course of action. He knew Laele had aided the boy in battle, as well as what he had accomplished so far. He wanted to see how much of a warrior's spirit Medon truly had. How he fought would determine his fate. Of course, Azazel thought, killing him here might be the kinder of the fates he could give this one.  
  
Slowly so Medon could see he wasn't making any hostile actions, Azazel removed the long cylinder that was latched onto his upper leg. His sign of rank and his weapon, Celestial Bane, was brought forth from it and he had no need of it in this battle. Then he took off his cloak, folding the handle within it. Then he tossed the bundle to Laele.  
  
"Hold this child, I know your not foolish enough to interfere this time."  
  
Laele nearly missed catching the items, her voice catching in her throat at Azazel's words. He knew what she had done. The warning in his tone had been unmistakable. Still her fate hardly worried her, any punishment would be left ultimately to Mephiston, who wasn't here right now. At the moment she still just wanted to think of someway for Medon to escape.   
  
While Azazel prepared himself, Medon did the same. He tore off tattered remains of the shirt of his red gi, the black t-shirt underneath in much better shape. He pressed the material to his face, hoping to clean away some of the blood and slow down the flow of more. He didn't have nearly enough time as Azazel stepped forward, obviously ready to begin. With a sigh, Medon tossed the tatters aside, keeping his eyes firmly forward. He knew it wouldn't help his morale if he saw just how much blood had stained his shirt in so short a time. Azazel only smiled.  
  
"Well child. Shall we begin?"  
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"You lost him!? You had him and you lost him?!"  
  
Dende took a step back, both because the volume of Pan's yelling and the fact she was shaking a fist in his direction. He knew she wouldn't intentionally strike him but her moods had flipped enough recently he didn't want to risk it.  
  
"His ki decreased to fast for us to get a firm lock on him. There were also other energies around him that blurred Son Goku's senses, so he wasn't able to use his Instantiations Movement to get to Medon."  
  
Pan let out a sound somewhere between a whine and a growl and threw her hands up in the air, turning away from Dende and heading towards where Goku, Murri, Tenshinhan, and Hammer were still conversing.  
  
"You people tell me my brother is alive, and then you can't get us to him!"  
  
The comment was directed at Dende, but it caught the attention of both Bra and Trunks. With a look at his sister, Trunks moved to intercept the young woman before she disturbed whatever attempts the others were making at forming a plan.  
  
"Whoah, hold on Pan. If Dende can't tell you anything neither can they. Come over here and sit down. There's nothing you can do right now. We might as well all get back to full strength while we can."  
  
Pan stopped and turned dark eyes to Trunks. For a moment he thought she was going to yell at him and keep going but then her shoulders slumped and she gave a nod of her head.  
  
"Fine. After we eat, you and I are going to train though. It'll keep us both in practice and get rid of the urge I have to hit something."  
  
Bra resisted the urge to laugh as her friend stalked by Trunks, stopping briefly to flash him a smile and commenting on the fact that he would be the object of her aggression shortly.  
  
"No offense of course."  
  
As he watched Pan move over to Bra and the two go in search of a meal, Trunks found he really had no response. He instead stood watching them go, taking note of Pan slowly briefly and turning her face to the sky. Her thought at that moment he knew was the same one that many of them shared. Where was Medon?  
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He barely had any ki left, but somehow Medon found the strength within him to call upon the transformation. The ground buckled and shattered around his feet, as golden fire burst up around his body for an instant before fading. Laele found herself biting her lip as she watched Medon go into Stage Two. The aura that he would normally have after his transformation had failed almost instantly. His hair now stood up in sharp golden spikes, and tiny sparks of electricity appeared around his body every few seconds, but it was obvious he wasn't at fall strength. Still he was preparing to fight her father, the Black Knight.  
  
Azazel only smiled and almost lazily raised his hand up to wave Medon on. He would let the teenager start off the fight. From the exhaustion that was evident on his face, Azazel was partially afraid he would misjudge his first attack and kill him.   
  
A small tremor shook the battlefield as Medon kicked forward, a golden streak heading for Azazel. He saw the daemon knight shift slightly in preparation of his impact and slowed his flight instantly. One of his hands snapping out to fire off a dozen golden orbs of energy that blasted into Azazel full force, the resulting explosions and smoke momentarily hiding him from view.  
  
Medon pulled up short in front of the smoke cloud, spinning around a few feet off the ground and letting one of his legs pass into it, hoping to catch the stunned daemon with a kick. He boot connected with something within the smoke, causing a surprised smile to appear on the teenagers face as he quickly pulled back and spun the other direction, this time lashing out with a backhand punch. Just as he was sure he was going to connect again he felt his fist caught and held still in a grip of iron.  
  
The smoke cleared as Medon struggled to pull free, again revealing the Black Knight. Azazel appeared unharmed by the barrage of ki blasts, not even a scratch showing on his breastplate. The kick had apparently connected with his shoulder, an almost superficial dent, could just been seen on the plating there. He had caught Medon with almost pitiful ease, and now held the sayai-jin's fist firmly within his large hand. The fact that truly unnerved Medon however, was the fact that the knight was smiling.  
  
Pushing away his shock, Medon went into motion. His free arm struck out in a blur of motion, striking Azazel countless times across the face, neck, and chest. Both his feet also left the ground, snapping out across the knight's lower body. Through it all Azazel stood unmoving, the smile never leaving his face, even as Medon punched into his nose with all his might.  
  
"When you are done, please let me know."  
  
"Damn you!"  
  
Medon spat the words out and slapped his hand flat onto Azazel's forehead, the lower part of his palm covering the daemon's eyes. Golden ki leaked out between his fingers as his energy attack forced it's way out. The force of the close range beam causing Azazel's head to rock backward, the blast no longer contained by his face racing out into the distance and exploding near the horizon, shaking the entire moon.   
  
Medon and Laele were both holding their breath, as Azazel stood unmoving after the last assault. Laele didn't want her father to be dead, but her hope was still with the young sayai-jin. Medon just wanted the daemon to fall; he had put all he had into that shot. The grip on his fist didn't lessen though, and Azazel slowly righted his face again, his glowing blue eyes locking onto Medon.  
  
"A solid tactic sayai-jin. It probably would have toppled a lesser foe. A commendable but futile effort."   
  
Even as the last word had left his mouth, he gave a sharp jerk on Medon's hand that he still held. The force of the movement popped the teenager's shoulder free of the socket, even as Azazel continued his turn, letting go just as he completed a half circle. He had only twisted his upper body and his arm, but the motion still had enough force to toss Medon far away from the two daemons.   
  
Laele watched in abstract horror as a small mountain in the distance, where Azazel had thrown Medon cracked and fell inward upon itself as the sayai-jin slammed into it. She moved to help him but stopped herself as she felt the knight's eyes upon her.   
  
"Be careful Laele. Your actions now shall determine how others judge you."  
  
Then he was gone, a simple focusing of energy teleporting him after Medon.  
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Some scars last forever. So it seemed on Kaioshin Kai, the planet of the High Gods. Many of the vast valleys and trenches that lined the planet were not natural, remnants of Goku and Vegeta's final battle against Majinn Buu.  
  
The last of the High Gods, the Eastern Kaioshin thought of all this while he looked out over his home. He along with the Rou Kaioshin, who had remained on the holy sphere rather the move on to the land of the dead, had been watching the events unfold within the Northern Galaxy. He wanted to act desperately, what was happening didn't just threaten that galaxy, but all of them. If the daemons were not stopped they would invade this entire dimension.   
  
As his elder had said though, he couldn't, not yet. The daemons were actively searching for him, and even as powerful as he was, he would not be able to stand against them, anymore then he was able to stand against Buu. He would be utterly destroyed. So they had to simply wait and watch, and hope the chance would come for them to find a way to give aid to the mortals. While the elder Kaioshin watched their past ally Son Goku, East Kaioshin instead kept his senses trained on the area where Earth had been. They had been sharp before his fusion with Kibit but now if he knew the area there was little he missed. The daemons had a plan involving that region still, and he was determined to find out what it was.  
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Medon let out a groan as he tried to get to his feet. He knew he was lying on his face in a pile of rubble; the dust was stinging his eyes. He was lying on one arm though and the other just wouldn't respond when he tried to move it. He rolled over to free his left arm from his body, the action sending a splinter of agony through the opposite shoulder. Glancing over he saw the placement of his arm, it was lower then it should have been. Rising slowly to his knees Medon found a rock of appropriate size and closed his eyes. With a sharp jerk he slammed his right shoulder against the boulder, the cracking and crumbling of the rock barely covering up his yell of pain as his right arm popped back into place.  
  
He was coming up fully to his feet, cradling his sore arm with the one that was still fully functional when Azazel appeared before him. The attack came faster then he would have expected, as Azazel brought his left hand in a vicious sweeping backhand. Medon jumped backwards and up in an attempt to stop the blow from hitting his head, the movement saved his life, but didn't spare him any pain. Azazel's fist connected onto the elbow of Medon's uninjured arm with crunching sound that the approaching Laele heard clearly. The boy's arm wasn't enough to stop the blow though; the crushed limb was then forced into his torso by the continued motion of Azazel's punch. Medon had almost passed out when every bone in his arm shattered at the same moment; he wished he had when he felt the impact on his ribcage. Every rib on his left side broke apart with the force of the attack, fragments of bone splintering into soft organs. He couldn't even scream as his throat filled with blood.  
  
Before his body could go flying to the side from the force of the attack, Azazel's other hand darted out and grabbed a fistful of the black shirt Medon wore, stopping him from going anywhere. The sharp jerk of the stopped flight caused Medon's head to flop to the side, the stream of blood that had burst from his mouth splashing across the knight's arms and chest. Even as he yanked Medon back the boy lost the thin gold aura that had hovered around him. His golden hair falling into it's natural shape and darkening to black again.  
  
Medon was surprised he wasn't dead. He had never felt so much pain in his life. He could barely find breath, and each one was filled with red bubbles. His arm and left side were just a mass of agony he couldn't even begin to guess at the extent of his injuries. He didn't want to die though; he refused to just give up. His right arm though sore still worked, and Azazel was so close he couldn't miss. The attack was hard with one hand, and with the power he needed he would probably hurt himself more. He had to win though, his grandfather, Pan, Trunks, Bra, everyone was counting on him. Even Laele, one of the "enemy" who would most likely face punishment for aiding him needed his help.  
  
Even with all her speed, Laele wasn't able to arrive on the scene until after Azazel. She got there just in time to see Medon's last-ditch attack. Azazel had turned to watch her approach, holding Medon off the ground with one hand, most likely to show her what had become of the one she had committed treason for. Medon was mumbling something, and a blue ball of energy was steadily forming in his right hand, which was shaped like he was cupping something.   
  
"Fragile creatures aren't they my child?"  
  
The Black Knight turned his eyes back to Medon just as red flames distorted his view of the sayai-jin and scorching his hand. Medon's hand was already in his face, the yell accompanying his final blast an almost incoherent noise. The result was still the same as if he had spoken clearly though.  
  
Laele felt her skin blister, as she was knocked back and dropped the cloak and weapon she was holding. The blue energy beam spread out completely engulfing Azazel and tearing past him, digging a huge rut across the surface of the moon as it continued beyond her line of vision into space.   
  
Medon gave all the energy he could muster into the attack, the one-handed Kamehameha hadn't been overly difficult but finding the strength to power it with a times two Kaio-Ken had almost been beyond him. He poured all his remaining ki into the blast for nearly half a minute, and then it sputtered and died. He nearly passed out when it was done, he would have fallen if his feet were on the ground, but he was still held aloft, Azazel's grip hadn't even wavered.  
  
"I admire your courage boy. It will only take you so far though. Strength is what will bring you victory, and you just don't have enough."  
  
"Im...poss...ible."  
  
"No, the only there here today that was impossible was you achieving victory."  
  
Laele was just getting to her feet again as Medon raised his arm in a futile attempt to defend himself. Azazel let go of the demi-sayai-jin letting him begin his drop to the ground and spun on one foot, his other coming up off the ground to slam into Medon's face. She heard a wet cracking sound and saw the blood splatter across the rocks besides the two. Medon didn't make a sound, even as he sailed backwards to land heavily onto more rubble, skidding across the rough surface before stopping.   
  
Azazel turned and went to retrieve his items that Laele had dropped. The sayai-jin had put up a decent fight. If he still lived they would bring him back with them when they returned to Dis. Perhaps he would have some information that would prove useful in their current campaign. As he pinned his cloak back on, he sent the telepathic message to his ship to come retrieve them.  
  
"You may see to him if you wish. If he still lives inform me, we will bring him with us."  
  
With only a moments hesitation Laele sprang across the rocks to where Medon had fallen. She found him unmoving where he had stopped in his skid. She knelt down besides him, green eyes going across his form, trying to think what she could do for him.  
  
He was alive, but just barely, and though completely senseless, he was also conscious. Each time his chest moved with his exhalation of air, blood came up between his lips. His left arm was pulped, the shattered bone having torn free of the skin at two places. The humerus bone of his upper arm had torn free at his shoulder and hung a few inches to the side. In his forearm the ulna had ripped out near his elbow and jammed inward to stab deep into his left side. The left side of his chest was crushed; all of his ribs were obviously broken. One of his lungs had probably collapsed, and she didn't know what other internal organs had been hurt. The worst injury though was the last inflicted by Azazel's final kick. His head was twisted sharply to the side, farther then it should have been. His neck had been broken. The kick had also inflicted severe damage to his face, the right side was crushed in, his cheekbone had been completely shattered, as had his jaw. His eye on that side had turned fully red as blood filled it. She lightly touched his face on the left side, completely clueless what to do. Medon moved slightly trying to make some sort of noise at the contact, all that came out was a strangled whimper. This was beyond anything she had seen anyone survive. He was going to die.  
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Mephiston glanced at the messenger who had just brought news that Azazel had reported he had found Laele and would be returning with her shortly. He has also defeated the youngest of the sayai-jin. Whether he was alive or dead, was not known. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the other daemon and sat back to ponder this turn of events.  
  
Ahriman and Marduke had recently sent word that they had two energy sources they were using to attempt to locate New Namek and expected to have results within two cycling of the systems sun. Abbadon had already returned to Dis to make preparations for the opening of the grand portal. Mephiston himself had also received permission to return to Dis if he so desired.   
  
He had plans that needed him present to reach fulfillment. They also required Azazel to not be present however. He had hoped the Black Knight would take longer to find Laele, which would delay him in his search for the High God.   
Still the magistrate had been weaving wards to help blur dimensional energy, so that would hinder the knight's efforts. He had done it under the excuse of blurring the portals energies so they couldn't be disrupted.  
  
He hoped the sayai-jin was dead. This one would be a nice addition to the little force he was collecting if he could be resurrected properly. The other four were performing nicely with the minor tasks he had assigned them so far. The short one did give some problems though, it usually took a command being given to him three or four times before he would perform it. The failing came from allowing them so much access to their actual minds, without it they would not be able to reach their full potentials, but it also gave them some of their old basic personality.   
  
A small passed across his face as he considered his plans and that it seemed they would come to about. He had grown tired of being the servant. His plan would succeed even without the Namek Dragonballs he had decided, they would just make things much easier. The smile only grew larger as he thought how much he did indeed like the title of Emperor.  
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Trunks couldn't believe how fast Pan was once she got moving. After they had eaten, the two of them had gone off into one of the more remote areas of New Namek to train some. Trunks had invited Bra to come along but she had declined, wanting to stay and practice using her ki to heal some. Goku had told them he would come get them when they had a plan if something came up before they returned.   
  
So the two had flown around until they hadn't felt any nearby ki's, then they had begun to spar. Though Trunks easily had a decade of experience and a bit of strength over here, Pan was managing to keep up with him, even gaining the advantage occasionally.   
  
At the moment he was chasing her across one of the many lakes that touched the area. She was actually beginning to pull away from him in flat out flight, so he took a different tactic. Trunks twisted in his flight and flew straight up, so he could see clearly into the distance and formed a barrier of ki between his hands which he hurled in front of Pan. As the golden energy flew it expanded, forming an energy wall that stopped right in front of Pan's flight path.  
  
As the barrier came down in front of her Pan cursed, she was going to fast to swerve around it. Throwing her arms up over her face, she slammed into the ki construct at full speed, shattering it into dozens of golden shards. Even though Trunks had built it weak on purpose so as to not injure her the act of breaking through the wall disrupted her flight and disoriented her momentarily. A moment was all Trunks needed, vanishing from his spot in the air high above her to appear behind the young woman, his arms coming up to pin her in a full nelson.  
  
"Give up?"  
  
Pan struggled for a moment before realizing it was pointless against the much stronger Trunks. She thought for a moment and then went with the same tactic her brother had used on her when they had trained in the Room of Spirit and Time. As Trunks was asking her if she wanted to surrender again, his surprise was complete as Pan twisted her body upward, staying in his grip but rotating her arms. Her foot came up high as she did so, the very tip catching him on the nose, just above her shoulder. He let go of her instantly in surprise, Pan immediately jumping forward and spinning around at the ready.   
  
She broke into laughter as soon as she got sight of Trunks. He was wiggling his face and rubbing at the tip of his nose. Within a few seconds he was sneezing. Pan had just managed to hit his nose, the force behind the axe kick was minimal but it had irritated Trunks enough to send him into a sneezing fit, and the more he sneezed the more she laughed.  
  
By the time Trunks stopped his nose was red and Pan had been reduced to crying she was laughing so hard. The sayai-jin just looked at her as she just kept laughing and crying, holding her sides as she doubled over in midair. A smile crept on his face as he watched the young woman, the spar had loosened her up and now she was just getting everything out of her system. He wasn't going to interrupt her.  
  
Several minutes later, the two of them sat down on a small island in the middle of one of the lakes. Kneeling down at the water's edge, Pan leaned over and splashed water onto her face, cleaning off the tears and dust.  
  
"Trunks..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks, I really needed this. I'm sorry since I've got here I've been...well, I've acted a lot like Grandma use to, and I'm sorry."  
  
Sitting down besides her, Trunks pulled off his boots and set his aching feet into the cool water. He laid a hand onto the young woman's shoulder and squeezed softly.  
  
"You have nothing to apologize for. Things haven't been easy for any of us. Plus being in the Room of Spirit and Time tends to alter your perceptions; it makes a crisis seem almost distant until your faced with it again. Then it all comes back you, sometimes stronger then before. You've also been keeping it all inside, none of us have talked about what happened."  
  
Pan sighed and settled into a seated position as well, turning lightly to look at the half-sayai-jin. She didn't want to talk about it, but nothing was over with yet, and any internal conflicts were better settled.  
  
"I need your honest opinion on something. When Medon and I were in the Room of Spirit and Time, he said something to me. It hurt me a lot; it's what actually trigged my initial transformation into a Super Sayai-jin. I know he was angry at the time and probably didn't mean it, but I need to know if it is true.  
  
He said I killed our father, that I was too weak in the battle and a hindrance. That if I hadn't been hurt, he wouldn't have died."  
  
Trunks tried to hold back his surprise as she spoke. He had known Medon had been beginning to undergo stress when he had left him in the room with Kaiosama but he hadn't suspected it would build to the level where he would say to his beloved sister.  
  
"You have nothing to be guilty or worry about Pan. None of us had a chance in that fight. Goten, my best friend, died fighting. As did my father, and Eighteen. If Gohan died protecting you, instead of fighting those things, it was his choice to make. I'm sure he doesn't regret it, and in the afterlife he is happy to know he saved you."  
  
She felt the tears coming again but pushed them back, giving only a simple nod to his words. It hurt to hear said so plainly that their friends and family were dead, but the thought that her father was happy somewhere helped her. The emptiness was still there, but it would heal. At least in that regards. Pan still felt it when she felt about her brother, more profoundly then she thought possible. They had to find him, and then she would be complete.  
  
As Pan fell silent, Trunks also let his thoughts felt inward. It struck him as odd at that moment, realizing that even more so then his parents death, which hurt incredibly, Goten's death stung him. He and Goten had grown to adulthood together, they had been best friends, and even Goten's marriage to Marron hadn't diminished it. If anything Goten had made sure that Trunks, who lacked that aspect of his life, was a part of their family. Then he thought of Marron unable to defend herself, and his goddaughter with Muten Roshi, who hadn't even seen the end coming. As his father would have done, Trunks hadn't thought of any of this, pushing it into the deepest recess of his mind, until now.   
  
Pan's train of thought was broken as Trunks stood up suddenly. Rising to her feet she tilted her head to the side regarding him.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
He had an almost haunted look on his face, but simply shook his head and pointed to the sky. Coughing briefly before he spoke to clear the lump from his throat.  
  
"It just looks like it's about to rain. We should go back."  
  
He was turning to fly back to the mainland when she grabbed hold of his arm spinning him around to face her.  
  
"Don't do this Trunks. I just dumped my issues on you, you're not going to hold back with me now."  
  
Trunks hesitated, his eyes on the ground. He hadn't felt his this uncomfortable since the time his father had first hugged him. Both awkward and wanting to just go with what the moment was. The first falling drop of rain startled him slightly, causing his blue eyes to rise up and meet Pan's dark orbs. When he met her gaze, he didn't need to say anything, she understood.  
  
"As you said with my father. They are probably all happy that you made it. Your father, whether he said it or not was proud of and loved you. I remember, when I was about fifteen, Bulma had my parents and grandmother over for dinner. Vegeta just went on and on about you, how you were more successful then any of the heads of Capsule Corporation had ever been. Of course he said it was your royal blood, but it meant he knew what you did, he was even quoting changes in stock prices. You know how much your mother loved you; she made it obvious in how she spoiled you.  
  
I also know my uncle loved you. Sure he had my father, but you were also his brother. My Dad even said that you two were closer then he was with Goten. I know how you feel; my brother is missing, maybe dead. I refuse to let grief stop me though, and so will you.  
  
Your not alone Trunks, you have your sister, my grandfather is here, and so am I. I'm your friend. I'm not going to leave you alone. It's just like when we went into space together. Except this time we make sure we all stay together the entire time."  
  
She was almost nose-to-nose with him as she spoke, her hand remaining on his arm. Keeping her eyes locked to his to make sure each word hit home with him. He was stubborn like his father, but her point got across. He gave a nod and put his hand onto her shoulder, giving a squeeze in response.   
  
"That means we both make it through this. Like you said, together."  
  
"I promise Trunks, when this is done, I'll still be with you."  
  
Neither was sure who moved first. Both of them had felt empty since they had fled from Earth, not speaking of their grief until this moment. They were both lonely, and what Kaiosamma would have said was that despite their vast power; both of them were all too human. The lake however said nothing, as their lips met on that small island upon New Namek, gripping to each other as another living being to count on in these times. The rain continued to fall for sometime, ending long before the two sayai-jin returned to the village.  
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Laele stared out the window of her room inside the Kraken. Azazel's flagship had arrived a few hours ago to retrieve them from the moon. It had also dropped off a contingent of daemon warriors onto the planet below. They would return in a fortnight to make sure all resistance had been eliminated.   
  
Azazel had sent a report into Mephiston on what had happened. He had left out how Laele had aided Medon in his battle against Belial. Stating only that Belial and Andariel had been defeated by the demi-sayai-jin. Her father was hard for her to understand. He did things like that for her, but also tested her loyalty time and time again.   
  
She looked across the room at the latest test he had presented to her. The stasis tube lay besides her bed. She had moved it there so she could keep a better eye on him. Going over she looked through the small hole at the battered form of Medon within. The Kraken had arrived just before he had been about to expire. Placing him into stasis was the only option to keep him alive, and she felt like she had to. If Medon had killed her upon the moon, they never would have found him to hurt him so. She had begged with The Black Knight before the warriors arrived on the surface to let him live. Now part of her almost wished she hadn't. When they arrived back on Dis, Medon would be given over to Mephiston for interrogation once he was healed. If she had let him die she would have spared him the torment she knew awaited on her home world. He would also most likely question her as to what happened despite Azazel's report. Kneeling besides the tube, the daemoness put her head down upon it and wept, for herself, for the many she had killed, and for the young man whose own kindness had doomed him. 


	11. A Moment of Silence

Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Warning: This and later chapter's are going to get into some darker areas, so if your easily bothered don't read on. Rating is still PG-13 for violence, language, and minor implied sexuality.   
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
By Blood Wraith   
  
Chapter 10: A Moment of Silence  
  
It looked like a big melon. That was the thought that kept echoing inside Son Goku's mind as he glanced down at the Three-Star Namekian Dragonball he had just recovered. At least there were only two more to get and he could eat. Pan, Trunks, Tenshinhan, and Hammer were each on their way to the other dragonballs. Due to his Instantaneous Movement ability, Goku was getting three of them compared to the others.  
  
The Namek people were somehow able to locate their dragonballs with much more ease then anyone on Earth ever had. Goku thought it might have been because the Namek balls were so big. They were easily several times larger then the Earth Dragonballs, which could fit within your hand. Realistically he knew that wasn't true however. The Namekians were the first to create dragonballs and thus shared a special bond with them. Murri, The Namekian Elder, had drawn a detailed map for al lof them showing the dragonballs locations. Goku had to fly to each one, but could simply teleport back when he had all of them by locking onto Dende's ki. White energy flared up around the sayai-jin as he rocketed off to another dragonball. If he delayed the others might make it back before he had all three.  
  
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The flagship of the Daemon Empire, the Kraken, came out of hyperspace near the rubble field that had formerly been the planet, Earth. It shimmered momentarily coming fully into phase before the great thrusters burst to life, propelling the cruiser forward towards the lonely moon, Luna.  
  
As the Kraken approached the lifeless orb, another Daemon cruiser came into view. The Leviathan, slowly came around from the darkside of Luna, having been awaiting the coming of its' sister ship. It would return to its' home dimension, while the Kraken would remain. Its' crew and master still had several tasks to perform before they could see the dark skies of Dis once again.  
  
The Kraken slowed and brought itself up underneath the smaller ship. Where the Leviathan was an enormous ship, the Kraken was simply monstrous, stretching half-again the length of the other ship from nose to rear. When it was within range a portal opened on the bottom of the Leviathan, a softly glowing blue tube stretching out to the other ship. The prisoner and personal transfer would not take long.  
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Azazel floated up the transport tube into the Leviathan first. He would drop the prisoner and his daughter off personally, plus he desired access to Mephiston's private shuttle. As he materialized within the ship he saw that the Magistrate had decided not to meet him personally. Instead the Death Knight, Charon awaited him.   
  
Along with Charon were two strangers that Azazel did not recognize. They both wore specially made black daemon armor, the shoulders and joints covered with spiked plates. A helm that appeared to latch onto the breastplate itself adorned their heads, and it seemed hadn't been designed with the intention of being removed. The Black Knight guessed these were more of Mephiston's creations. He had seen many in his time serving with the Magistrate, and had no desire to question the lacky about them.  
  
He handed a small box containing relevant information over to Charon, gesturing over his shoulder as Laele materialized, the floating tube that contained Medon appearing right behind her.   
  
"Per Lord Mephiston's request I return with his lost warrior, Laele. I also bring him one of the sayai-jin. He may do with the boy as he so desires, though my personal recommendation would be to restore him to health and then question him on his fellows."  
  
The Death Knight's red eyes flickered within his skull helm, glancing over Azazel's shoulder before returning to the knight. Charon gave a short nod. No words were needed, he would pass on the Black Knight's words but Mephiston would do what Mephiston chose. It was always such.  
  
"I also desire access to your master's personal shuttle. While my ship the Kraken will head for the location upon which Ahirman and Marduke believe New Namek to be located, I shall continue my search for the High Gods of this dimension. I believe they may make their presence known when we begin an assault on the planet, and will use that opportunity to make a jump to their own world and destroy them."  
  
Charon fell within himself as the mind of the Magistrate touched his own. The Death Knight had new orders. He would instead seek the Namekian Dragonballs above all else. While Azazel's force seiged the planet, he would have plenty of opportunity to gain the precious artifacts.  
  
"Lord Mephiston thanks you for the return of his warrior and the prison. He will give you his personal shuttle as a gift, in return thought he requests the boon of my presence upon the Kraken as it departs for the planet of New Namek."  
  
Azazel had expected Mephiston to ask something in return and his servant's presence was not much of a favor to request. Charon was quite powerful and would serve well in whatever battle occurred, even if he was there to serve as the Magistrates eyes and ears.  
  
"So be it. Just remember while aboard my ship you shall be under Marduke's orders as he is also in command of my ship while I am not present."  
  
No more words were needed between the two. Azazel had never liked Charon, the Death Knight was an absolutely passionless and without mercy killer. The Black Knight turned and made his way to the shuttle bay as Charon stepped forward to confront Laele, who had stood silently the entire time, one hand resting protectively upon the stasis tube.  
  
"Warrior Laele. You shall accompany these two warriors along with your cargo to Lord Mephiston. Do not speak to others or attempt to change the chosen route. If you do so they are under orders to destroy you. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes m'lord"  
  
Charon waved his taloned hand and the two dark warriors besides him came up from their positions. The taller of the two stepped besides the stasis tube, glancing downward at it, and it's occupant. The other came and took her arm in a surprisingly strong iron grip, which surprised her. He was far stronger then any daemon solider she had ever met previously, even the elite. Seeing them completing his orders, Charon gave another nod of satisfaction and stepped onto the transport tube to be carried back to the Kraken.  
  
Laele was led several feet before she realized that the second warrior and the stasis tube had no moved. The one holding her arm stopped and turned slightly to its' companion. The second warrior was still staring down into the tube, the tips of its' black gloved hands lightly pressed against the class covering Medon.  
  
"What are you doing? Come along!"  
  
The other reacted as if startled from a dream. Shaking its' head slightly before straitening and nodding in acceptance. Taking firm grasp of the handle with which to lead the tube, it followed after them. Even as Laele considered the oddity of that action from the warrior, she was led deeper into the Leviathan, to face her master.  
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The moment he had been waiting for had finally come. The East Kaioshin had kept his senses focused upon the third orbit around the sun for several days, waiting for the daemons to make another move. They had done so, a large rift between dimensions appearing clearly to him, as the space cruiser Leviathan shifted between realities.   
  
Taking off from the ground he flew across Kaioshin Kai, seeking the elder Rou Kaioshin. Though dead, the Rou Kaioshin was one of the High Gods and thus responsible for the universe. He had refused to give aid such as Kaioshin was about to request during the incident for Majinn Buu, but the god helped the years had helped him put that incident into context. He had been angry at Son Goku for lying about a reward he had promised at the time.  
  
He needed the other god to communicate with the mortals upon New Namek and give his plan. He knew they seeking a way to reach their lost friend, as well as planning on using the Eternal Dragon, Porunga. He had a way to help ease their plight as well as make them aware of the force coming to lay siege to the planet. The act of communication wouldn't make his hunter aware of his location, but the physical aid he planned to give to them certainly would.  
  
Still they had several days until the daemons arrived at New Namek, they were unsure of its' location and would be unable to use their warp drive to travel their quickly. A small formed on the god's face as he increased his speed, hurtling across the surface of the holy orb.  
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The others had already returned to the Namekian village, Pan had finally just recovered her dragonball and was on her way back. The dragonball had been hard to find despite the map, after its' last use it had landed in the ocean and lodged deep underwater. It had taken the demi-sayai-jin the better part of several hours to lay her hands upon. She now grasped the ball tightly though and was heading with all speed back to her friends.  
  
Pan had to fight the urge to let a small smile creep onto her face as she thought over things. They were finally taking action, taking the initiative. She would have her brother back soon. She was also still a bit surprised over herself over what she had done the previous evening. Part of her could rationalize that what had occurred between Trunks and her had been out of desperation. They were both lonely, and the feel of another person, knowing they were cared about had helped them both cope with what had happened. She didn't want to rationalize it though. She was a young woman, and Trunks had been one of the source of her fantasies ever since she had had been younger.   
  
When she, Trunks, and Goku had gone into space she had developed a puppy love like affection for the older man. As she had grown older she had been able to put it into perspective for herself, and lumped the other sayai-jin in with the various celebrities she admired. Trunks was flesh and blood though, thus during the periods without boyfriends, he would tend to dominate the fantasies she did allow herself. What had happened hadn't quite been as she would have wanted it, but still, it was possibly something to build on after this was all over. With a soft sigh, Pan pushed the thoughts from her head. This wasn't the time, they had to win first, and they would win. Her grandfather wouldn't let them lose.  
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He was floating within vast white warmth. The peace was the first he had experienced in awhile. Medon didn't want to come out of this place. It was safe, no one was trying to kill him or his family, he didn't have to think about the horrible things that had happened, and he wasn't forced to fight. Then the voice cut through his peace, it was a kind voice, but it was still seeking to take away his rest. The demi-sayai-jin forced it away.  
  
"Medon..."  
  
He closed his eyes and denied the voice; he didn't want to wake up. To wake up would bring back the pain, the suffering, and the death.  
  
"Medon...you must wake up now."  
  
He began to become keenly aware of his body. The intense pain was gone, replaced only by a dull ache. He also felt a cool, slender hand against his brow, the backs of fingers gently sliding against his cheek.  
  
"I am sorry, but you must awake. Though I wish you did not."  
  
The young man's lavender eyes slowly opened, flinching against the bright light that filtered in. The first thing he saw was the silhouette of a woman, blocking the light, only her outline was visible. In that instant he was sure he was dead, and an angel had come to awaken him into the next life. Then a throbbing pain stabbed up his left arm, reminding him vividly that he still lived and causing him to wince.  
  
"I am sorry, I did not have time to completely heal you. They demanded you be brought to consciousness as quickly as possible. I delayed it as much as I could, to continue healing your wounds. You shall need all the strength you can muster to survive."  
  
Medon brought his attention again to the woman, his eyes had adjusted to the light and he could see her better now. He knew why he had thought she was an angel initially; she was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon. Woman, probably wasn't the proper term though, she appeared barely older then he. Still since the Black Knight had beaten him, he had to assume she was a daemon, and thus she could be centuries old and still look youthful.   
  
"Where am I?"  
  
She looked up briefly as if searching for something then leaned down near him, her hand on his forehead pushing his head flat again.  
  
"Close your eyes and lie still while I tell you what has occurred. It shall give us a few more moments until they know you are awake."  
  
He did as he was told, though he kept one eye cracked slightly. He was still sore enough, he wouldn't be very effective in a fight, but he didn't want to completely relax despite her seeming non-hostile intentions to him. He got a better look at the daemoness as she leaned down to speak to him.  
  
She appeared more human then any of the others he had seen. From her general stature she was most likely shorter then Pan, and more slender, though fuller at the bust and hips. Her skin was smooth, and pale, though not white as Zilvra's had been, more like one who had seen little sun. Her long hair was tied back to keep it from her face, and was an odd shade of blue-green, akin to the clear waters near Muten Roshi's island. She was extremely finely featured; the actual term Medon found appropriate would be she appeared delicate. The tips of pointed ears would be seen poking through her hair. Her large eyes were slightly almond shaped and the same color as her hair. She was wearing a simple deep blue hooded robe, though it clung at the arms and legs.  
  
"You are within the capital of the Empire, Dis. My name is Asmodia. I am High Priestess and daughter of the Emperor. I was the only one capable of restoring you to health so great were your wounds. Lord Mephiston wishes you restored to health so you maybe interrogated. Laele could not let you die, and neither could I. Though it would have been a kindness. You have great valor sayai-jin, and I thank you for sparing the life of my friend. I know it shall not help you with your coming trials, but I apologize for the dishonor we have done you and those you care for."  
  
Medon's eyes popped open fully at her both blunt and striking statement. Even with the change he had experienced in Laele he had not expected anything that profound from any of the daemons, especially not one he had just met.   
  
As he went to speak, she slid her hand down his face, both re-closing his eyes and silencing his response. Her own gaze flicking upward again, Mephiston had been watching from the chamber above the cell they had Medon within. The Magistrate had moved away to take care of several of his own concerns but he would be back shortly. He had forced Laele to leave several hours before, and thus she would have no warning when the Daemon Lord returned.  
  
"Do not speak. There is no need I know your heart. I know my words surprise you but you would be surprised to find we do not all carry darkness in our hearts. The people of this world are just like any other. Those in power though are corrupt to their cores, and find delight in destruction. I cannot aid you now, but if you can survive a bit longer, I shall do what I can. Turbulent times are coming to this world, and many will become victims of others desires."  
  
He knew she was trying to give him hope, but her references to his survival that it would be something he might not accomplish scared him. He wanted to live, he wanted to see Pan again, and his grandfather. He didn't want to die here.  
  
"I know you are scared. Do not worry though, you will find your courage."  
  
She heard one of the outer chamber doors open; Mephiston was coming directly into the cell, not back to the observation room. Muttering arcane phrases beneath her breath, Asmodia pressed warm lips to Medon's forehead. He felt a pleasant tingling sensation pass through his body before he fell into a restful sleep. She quickly stood and appeared to simply be looking the sayia-jin over as the heavy adamantine door behind her swung open and the Magistrate stepped into the room.  
  
"Has he awoken yet?"  
  
"Yes just a brief while ago. I put him back asleep so he would not be a problem until your lordship is ready to speak with him."  
  
"Always thinking aren't you Asmodia? Perhaps that is why your father puts so little responsibility upon you eh?"  
  
"I would not know."  
  
"Of course you wouldn't. Be gone from here, the Empresses shall be here shortly; she wishes to see the prisoner. Laele has been placed within your chambers; I do not want her roaming about until I have a chance to question her more in depth. She did not tell me the entire story of what occurred between the boy and Azazel."  
  
Asmodia simply bowed in response to Mephiston's demands and turned upon her heel exiting the prison and leaving him with the still sleeping Medon. She was actually pleased that the Magistrate had left Laele with her. It would give her time to sort out what was going out. Laele most likely had heard the same tidings as she had. There were those unhappy with Emperor Asmodius' rule that would seek to overthrow him. She suspected Mephiston was the one organizing it, but she had no proof. A civil war would cause only destruction and mass death across Dis. The precursors had been seen though. Bands of elite soldiers had gone out on simple scouting missions and never returned. The Emperor also seemed to only be receiving information that was coming from Azazel, and somewhat from Abbadon. Mephiston barely ever reported to him anymore, and neither had Baal before his death. Of the First Order Knights, they seemed split, with half still doing their duties and the other half seeming to always have other tasks at hand. Things did not bode well for the future. With these thoughts she left the prison and ascended into the palace above.  
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Dende rubbed his chin and looked over at Goku across the small fire from him. The sayai-jin was also in thought over what they had just heard proposed to them. The East Kaioshin had just contacted them telepathically with the aid of the Rou Kaioshin and outlined his thoughts on the situation and a plan he had formed.  
  
"What do you think Son Goku?"  
  
"It almost sounds like a suicidal course of action, but it does have merits."  
  
~~I am sorry to put the burden on you my friend. As you proved all those years ago though, mere mortals have exceeded the power of the gods.~~  
  
"Don't worry about it Kaioshin. We were going to do something anyway. I also like the idea of not waiting for them to come to us."  
  
The God of Earth sighed and put his head into his hands as he thought of the plan the High God had proposed. As one of the High Gods, he was able to teleport not only across space, but also across dimensional barriers. Now that he had felt the energies directly from the daemon reality, he could take the sayai-jin to it if they agreed. His plan was he would take a group of warriors to the daemon homeworld, and they would attempt to destroy the Empire's ability to make war, as well as defeat any of the army's leaders. It was hoped that with their direction gone, the lower ranking officers and officials would lose their taste for battle. It was also hoped that an attack on their homeworld would divert the force that was heading for New Namek, and force them to return home. While this was happening, they would also use the Namek Dragonballs to wish back the Earth, and it's people. That way the attackers could use the portals from the Daemon Empire to escape back home if things go out of hand or they won.   
  
The problems with the plan were many though. They were not sure whether Medon was on the Daemon Throneworld, and Pan would want to find him before retreating. They also were unsure of the strength of the leaders of the daemon armies. They had all grown in power since Earth, but whether it would be enough or not was unsure. Dende just wasn't sure what to do; he wanted his beloved planet back, but not only to lose it again.   
  
"We'll do it."  
  
"Goku?!"  
  
The sayai-jin smiled and stood up from the other side of the fire. The light reflected in his dark eyes as he glanced behind him at the small huts where his friends slept, as well as the majority of the villagers.  
  
"I know it's risky god, but Kaioshin is right. It's the only option. We might as well take the fight to them, besides at least that way we won't risk your people being killed."  
  
Then Goku broke into a wide grin and slapped his hands together. Then gave his head a slow roll, working the kinks out.  
  
"I have to admit though. I'm looking forward to the challenge. Kaioshin! We'll be ready by tomorrow. When your prepared come to us and we'll go."  
  
~~As you wish Son Goku. I am as before, grateful. I shall contact you in a few days time, before the cruiser reaches New Namek.~~  
  
Then the mental contract with the East Kaioshin vanished, leaving Dende staring wide-eyed across the fire at Goku, who was still smiling. He couldn't believe the sayai-jin was actually going to try it. Of course Goku had also believed he could beat Majinn Buu by himself initially as well, so his confidence shouldn't have been a surprise. Still, even having trained the past few days and having recovered from their injuries, did they really have the strength necessary to battle the daemons in their own home?  
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Mephiston smiled as another scream tore out in the chamber below. He had been enjoying the show for hours on end, and it had yet to get dull. The minion he had chosen to perform the "interrogation" was quite skilled in the art, having perfected it over the last millennia. Beelzebub was also quite insane, even by the standards of other daemons. Mephiston did favor him so.   
  
His companion was also taking an interest in the delights of the torture chamber beneath them. His red eyes slid to the side to regard the Empresses of the Daemon Empire who sat besides him, her gaze fixated on the room below. The slight flicker of her red tongue could be seen to flicker across her lips during any particularly bloody result of Beelzebub's treatment of Medon.   
  
Lilith has been Empress for nearly as long as Asmodius had ruled over the Empire. Back as far as Mephiston could remember. She was weaker then her mate, but much more intelligent. She also saw the failings in the way he ruled. Simple destruction was not productive, neither was eliminating planets when they caused a bit of a problem. Thus the reason for their shortage of resources, Asmodius had ordered thousands upon thousands of planets destroyed during the time of his rule, some of them quite rich in natural resources.   
  
When the Magistrate had decided to put in wheels the motion of his plan to overthrow the Emperor and put himself in Asmodius' place. Lilith had been one of the first he had attempted to enlist. She had readily agreed. Asmodius allowed her little influence within court, and did not take her advice to mean much. Mephiston knew otherwise and promised her the position of power she so deserved. So she had made sure orders were relayed wrong, and the royal guard would be away from the palace in two day's time. Then he would put his plans into action.   
  
On the chosen day, the Kraken would lay siege to New Namek and Abbadon would follow the orders he had been given by the Emperor at Mephiston's advice. The Lord Magi would descend into the heart of Dis, and use the power of the world itself to open a massive planar gateway into the other dimension. They would move the throneworld itself through the rift into the place where the Earth had formerly inhabited and use it as a staging point for the rest of the campaign within that realm.  
  
With Lilith's help, Mephiston had also managed to recruit the High Prince, Duriel into his schemes of rebellion. Though he did have every intention of destroying the Prince after this was over. The whelp would most likely attempt to take power from the Magistrate in a few years time, and he did not feel like putting down an uprising of his own. He also had the same fate planned for Lilith, though he would let her live a few centuries more to learn all he could from her. No use in making the same mistakes as his predecessor.   
  
The Empress rising up to her full six and half feet in height, and stretching out her great wings, besides Mephiston shook him from his thoughts bringing him back to the present. The noises from within the chamber had died off as the interrogator took a few minutes to use the various potions and salves at his disposal to restore Medon to a better state of health, it would not do if he died.  
  
"Not enjoying the show?"  
  
"I have other tasks to attend to. As do you my dear Magistrate, if your plan is to be successful."  
  
"Your wisdom prevails over pleasure as always my lady. Beelzebub! Wait until things are set into motion fully and then kill the boy."  
  
The other daemon gave a cackle of satisfaction with the order. He was not to found of the sayai-jin. It had taken him getting creative to finally make the teenager scream, and though that was a testament to his willpower, it had displeased Beelzebub greatly.  
  
Lilith was already departing the chamber, with another glance down at the battered and bleeding Medon, the Magistrate followed after her. Indeed there was still much to do.  
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Laele snarled and tossed her goblet across the room where it struck against the wall with the sharp noise of metal against stone. Things were progressing at a rapid pace and she was stuck in this room, unable to do anything that wait. The effect was maddening upon the normally active warrior.  
  
Asmodia offered a smile of sympathy to her friend as she recovered the fallen cup, gently setting it down onto one of the many tables that sat at various places within her lavish room. She had managed to distract the other daemoness for the past few hours, but Laele was understandably getting agitated. Asmodia had to admit she was as well, they hadn't heard any more reports of anything odd occurring as of late. Laele was the one to break the silence, asking the question that had been thought but remained unsaid between them.  
  
"What do you think he's planning?"  
  
"I'm not sure. You would know more then I most likely, you are one of his warriors after all. All I've heard is rumors, along with the odd behavior of my brother as of late. He came to me a fortnight ago and said simply when it begins to keep my head down and I would come out of it unscathed. He refused to say more then that. What have you heard?"  
  
"Very little. Lord Mephiston said he had something big planned after we were done on Earth, but since I didn't return with the main unit I've heard nothing. Zilvra refused to tell me anything, saying I didn't have the stomach for it. No more since that, the calm before the storm if you will"  
  
"It most likely is as we suspect. Mephiston has more allies then my father does. If he plans a coup he could very well succeed. The majority of the populace of the throneworld is in the military, so it will be global. I feel pity for those civilians that we do have though, they have no chance for survival."  
  
"What can we do?"  
  
"Not much unfortunately. I've managed to use what little influence I have to set up a few shuttle on various locations that will launch at my command, and plan to order the innocents to it if things do break into open conflict. It won't be enough though. I also fear for your friend within the dungeons. If he still lives, he most likely won't after this conflict."   
  
"You were with him for a time Asmodia, and I know your empathy tends to touch others while you heal them. What did you think of him?"  
  
"I think that if we let him die our crimes shall be as great as those that actually do the deed."  
  
"That's good to hear, but you didn't answer my question."  
  
Asmodia sighed and settled herself into a seat opposite Laele. She settled her chin into her slender hands and looked steadily at the other daemoness. She had been inside Medon's mind for sometime while she had restored him to health. She had seen his fears, his desires, and those he cared for. She probably knew him better then he knew himself at this moment.  
  
"You made the right choice. He is what we should strive to be, as are his fellows. He is still but a child though; he is scared, and lets his emotions rule him. He actually has very little ability to hate, the most he demonstrates is simple rage, and when it fades he feels guilty over it. His power is not at his full beck and call though; what he demonstrated is only what he can access. He has more, hidden within him."  
  
"Like your one to talk. You would be considered young even among the earthlings. What are you now? Twenty-seven or so?"  
  
Laele smiled briefly and then frowned, her hand tightening into a fist, which she smacked hard against the arm of her chair.  
  
"Well I'd say that decides what we should do then doesn't it?"   
  
"What are you suggesting?"  
  
"You're the High Priestess, the people trust you. If a rebellion comes, we do the logical thing. We get as many of them as we can onto the shuttles, we rescue Medon, and we get off planet. We can head to the other side of the Empire, and start things over."  
  
"As much sense of it makes, I'm not sure it would work. We shall have to wait and see. I agree we will have to get the people off world, but beyond that I cannot say. I have tried to warn my father of the tidings, but he reprimands me for exceeding my place. Any coup will eventually have to bring him down, and his bared power is beyond comprehension. I do not want to be here when it is unleashed. We should enjoy these brief moments of silence while we can.  
  
The other daemoness nodded and took up her cup again, refilling the goblet with the deep blue drink they had been sharing. When things did break loose, she would free the demi-sayai-jin, of that she was sure. She owed him that much.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Abbadon looked out from his great tower across the expanse of the throneworld Dis. He had heard the tidings of course over the past few days. They had increased dramatically in the last forty-eight hours. He did not care though. The Lord Magi would have a place no matter who the ruler was, and if all those in power fell, he would step in himself.   
  
His task now would be draining but was simple. He would open the massive planar tear into the other dimension and bring Dis through into the third orbit of Sol. Dis itself has long ago stopped being a true planet. It was not completely hollow; daemon technology ran throughout the inside, powering various places and providing energy to the Empire. Abbadon would use the power contained within the core, a miniature sun itself, to open the rift.  
  
Closing his eyes he vanished from within his tower, reappearing besides two sentries outside the large tower, which Mephiston inhabited. One was clad in more slender version of the typical daemon armor, and seemed completely disinterested with his post. The other was the giant, Kale, whom Mephiston had sent on the assault upon Earth. The scars of that battle showed clearly on his visage, the behemoth was almost as much machine as dameon now. Both his legs and an arm were now made of gleaming back adamantine, as was one complete side of his face. Upon his arrival Kale bowed in respect to the Lord Magi, while the other simply turned his face away with an odd snorting sound.  
  
"Tell your master that I go now into the depths of Dis. The portal shall open in a few hours time."  
  
"Yes Lord Magi."  
  
Then Abbadon was gone again, teleporting into the center of Dis itself. Though as he left he considered the disrespectful warrior. The dark eyes that had peered out of the helm had not belonged to any daemon.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The report had just been delivered that Abbadon had descended into Dis to begin the ritual. That was the sign to put his plan into motion. The Kraken would arrive at New Namek in a few short hours as well. Mephiston smiled and closed his eyes, his mind reaching out to the daemon knight, Ahriman. Ahriman had managed to remove himself from the siege of New Namek, was returned to Dis. He had also readily agreed to serve the Magistrate, in return for the position as the Lord Commander upon their victory.  
  
"Lord Ahriman, you may begin your assault. Target the barracks first, then make your way towards the palace."  
  
"As you wish Lordship, or shall I say Emperor?"   
  
"Ahh, and here I believed Marduke had the silver tongue. You shall do well Ahriman, proceed."  
  
Mephiston resisted the urge to laugh as heard the sounds of the first explosions. Ahriman and a force of some twenty thousand elite warriors loyal to the Magistrate were in the initial assault force. Duriel and his warriors would begin to work at breaking down the palace's defenses, while Lilith would make sure the Emperor did not join the battle himself. Things were indeed shaping up nicely.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pan, Trunks, and Goku stood within the center of the Namekian village. The signal from Kaioshin had just come. Large amounts of energy were beginning to be focused within the daemon's dimension it was time. The three sayai-jin would be the first to go. Tenshinhan and Hammer would not accompany them until the daemon cruiser heading for New Namek turned back.   
  
Goku looked at the seven Namek Dragonballs lying together upon the ground. They all glowed with the close proximity of their fellows; Dende would handle that aspect soon enough as well. Then he looked at his granddaughter and friend. He saw both the trepidation and determination upon their faces. They would not fail though. Reaching out he clasped each of their shoulders giving them reassuring nods. Then he looked over his shoulder at the High God who had just appeared upon New Namek. He still appeared much as Goku remembered last, the fusion between the East Kaioshin and Kibito seeming to have aged the former and increased his size. With a smile at those that would remain behind he turned back to Pan and Trunks.   
  
"Let's go end this." 


	12. Insurrection

Standard disclaimer, I do not own Dragonball Z/GT or any of its related characters. This is purely a non-profit work, for the enjoyment of those that are kind enough to read my work.  
  
Author's Note: Well the last chapter seemed to be appropriate. The Moment turned into over a year though. They say we all have our muse, I lost mine and it took awhile to find her again. I apologize to all those who have sent me emails, the kind web hosts and hostesses who put this story up and have had an unfinished product for so long. Please enjoy the long delays next installment of Dragonball: After Earth, the beginning of the end.  
  
Dragonball: After Earth  
  
By Blood Wraith  
  
Chapter 11: Insurrection  
  
"Let us look back a moment my children. The world of heroes, Earth, as we know it, is gone. Torn asunder in a moment of cruelty by a race of extra- dimensional conquerors. Yet the universe is greater then us, or our planet, others still live from that world that continue the good fight.  
  
Yes I know chances seem slim, but do not cry. The forces of evil are at our very doorstep. Our defenders are few, and the powerful heroes from Earth have left us. They have gone to the heart of the beast, three against a world. Do no despair however my little ones. Believe my words, and they will prove true..in the darkest hour, hope shines eternal."  
  
Then the Namekian elder Murri, shut the door of the heavily reinforced building they had constructed to protect the children. A single warrior remained within to defend them if needed. He hoped it would not come to that, even as he turned his eyes toward the sky and picked out what appeared to be a huge moving star as the great daemon warship, The Kraken, approached New Namek.  
  
Goku swung his hand in a sweeping arc as soon as the three Sayai-jins appeared upon the surface of Dis. The barrage of random energy bolts that had been flying upward at the group was knocked away to impact on the ground below.  
  
"Goku! What's going on? They couldn't know we're here already!"  
  
"They don't, Trunks. Look around us. They're fighting each other. Kaioshin! Get out of here! The longer you stay the more chance they'll be able to follow you."  
  
The High God gave one last look at the three brave warriors who now stared over the expanse of Dis beneath them. Civil war was raging without care for who or what was caught within its' grasp. Chaos and destruction reigned. Catching his breath at the horror of it all, Kaioshin gave them all a last salute, for luck, and then he vanished. Goku was right, and he'd only get in their way.  
  
Trunks was slowly rotating within the air, his blue eyes looking out over the surface of Dis. The entire planet seemed to have turned into a giant battlefield, daemon battled daemon across the sky above and the ground below. He was about to turn and ask Goku for a course of action when he was blinded by a flash of golden light to his side. Her hands clenched into fists so tight her knuckles had gone white, Pan erupted into Super Sayai-jin. Her short black hair shooting upward and turning a vivid golden shade, as flames of the same color burst into existence around her slender body. Her brother was here, she could feel him, and none of these wretched creatures would keep her from him.  
  
She rocketed off towards the largest structure she could see instantly, ignoring the shouted command to stop from her grandfather behind her. The warmth she had felt within Trunks' arms had faded from her heart, replaced instead by the intense fear for the life of her brother that had gripped her previously, and behind that lurked the explosive anger that had driven the last two generations of the Son line to greatness.  
  
Laele looked back over her shoulder for what had to be the twentieth time since they had descended into the dungeons beneath the palace. She and Asmodia had decided to wait until the chaos was near a fever pitch before going down into the depths to attempt to free the sayai-jin and escape the planet.  
  
The fighting on the planets surface above was beginning to peak after working itself up over several hours. Entire armies of daemons now clashed with each other in city after city. The capital itself was one giant fight, nearly impossible to tell what side each group was in.  
  
Though many were still loyal to the Emperor, Asmodius, easily just as many had switched allegiances to the magistrate, Mephiston. Many of the ancient and powerful First Order of Knights had taken a stance behind the magistrate, giving him a tactical advantage above and beyond the surprise of the initial assault.  
  
Asmodia could feel the tension radiating from her companion. It was well placed. Medon would most likely be heavily guarded and that was the least of their problems. After freeing him they had to escape the palace, make their way into the city to the waiting shuttles, if they had not been destroyed, and then pass through the defensive grid set around the planet by the Lord Magi, Abbadon.  
  
She refused to let the odds against them delude her however. She knew what would happen if they stayed. Most likely they would all perish. If Mephiston won, she, along with her traitorous brother, Duriel would be slain when they had outlived their usefulness. The other option, which was much more likely to occur, would be her father Asmodius, would unleash his power upon the forces assembled against him and wipe out the planet itself, including those loyal to him. Only the most powerful daemons could survive the force of his fury.  
  
Asmodia stopped as she came to a corner, they were getting much closer to the cellblock and if they were to meet any resistance it would be in his region. Noticing her pause and realizing why, Laele, moved to take the forward position. Though powerful in the arcane arts she practiced, Asmodia possessed not even a fraction of the physical power of the trained warrior.  
  
The two moved at a snails pace around the corner, Asmodia found herself recalling similar though much less deadly days from their childhood. They use to sneak through the halls of the Imperial Palace in the darkest hours of the night, seeing what secrets could be discovered or trouble they could get into. Daemon children were not so different from children of every race. Even in the heart of darkness, they were left to play as long as it did not get out of hand or disturb the Emperor.  
  
There had been another difference at that time though. There had been another little girl who had played hide and seek amongst the columns and large chambers. One who had always been faster, stronger, and able to find the best places to hide.  
  
Reality came back in brutal focus to Asmodia, as Laele knocked her to the side as she went to the edge of the hallway, taking the priestess with her.  
  
A purple and black pulsing ball of energy flew by, barely missing the two of them to impact on the wall far behind. A large chunk of the wall instantly disintegrated as negative energy broke apart the atomic bonds that held it together.  
  
Rising from the floor, Asmodia pushed strand of her aqua hair from her eyes and looked past Laele who was preparing herself for battle. Advancing down the hall at them with murder in her eyes was Zilvra.  
  
Kale stood before the tower of Mephiston and watched the battle moving back and forth across the city, a large smile planted across his face. A group of loyalists to the Empire had assaulted the tower over an hour ago. They now lay strewed across the area.  
  
He had to say his was quite impressed, he had initially objected to being placed on guard duty with some runt daemon who he an attitude problem. When the fight had broken out though the other had caused just as much damage as the giant, tearing through the daemon warriors with an ease and viciousness that the assassin could almost admire.  
  
He turned to comment on the fight to the other and stopped as he saw the other had pulled off one of the steel gauntlets that had been welded onto the armored suit he inhabited. The skin beneath was like that of the humans whose world they had destroyed recently, not one of the more vibrant pigments common to those with daemon blood. The warrior clenched his fist several times giving a slight shake of his head as if trying to clear it before giving a slow turn and taking in his surroundings.  
  
"What are you about, soldier?"  
  
At the giants words the warrior turned, the dark eyes within the helmet narrowing as they moved from the adamantine legs up to the scarred face.  
  
Kale was opening his mouth to speak again when the ki bolts began to slam into his face and torso. The energy did minimal damage but was enough to force him to raise his arms to block them, wanting to shield the remains of his organic body. Then the impacts began from the other directions, he turned in place trying to stop the numerous blasts then they stopped without warning.  
  
The killer roared and turned around, trying to see his enemy through the massive amounts of smoke that surrounded him and to defend himself if need be. There came no further assault before the smoke cleared, when it did the warrior was gone.  
  
Son Goku nearly sighed as another wave of pulses came flying up from the ground at Trunks and him. In between attacking each other, the warring daemon factions had decided the two sayai-jin made appealing targets. The two easily dodged the barrage weaving in their flight paths in the direction Pan had flown off in.  
  
She had quickly outdistanced them due to transforming and was little more then a golden dot near the horizon. Trunks had wanted to follow suit to catch up with her but had refrained at the older man's insistence. He didn't want to alert the daemons that were not involved in the fighting around them to their presence anymore then Pan already had. Better they think a lone sayai-jin had come to Dis rather then all three of them.  
  
The structure Pan had flown towards was immense, easily seen from hundreds of miles away and stretching up to cloud level at the least. From the conversations he had heard among the warriors as they had passed above them and during combat on Earth, Goku could only assume it was the palace of the Emperor. There were several other massive towers around the landscape that seeing heavy combat. They were most likely the homes of prominent military leaders for either side in the conflict.  
  
The sayai-jin didn't know why the daemons were fighting each other but he hoped it would help them more then hinder. At the very least it was a very effective distraction from their presence.  
  
His reverie was shattered then at a shouted warning from Trunks ahead of him.  
  
"Incoming!"  
  
Some of the daemons had become organized enough to present a threat and a pack of some twenty warriors shot up from the ground at the two.  
  
"You keep going, Trunks! I'll take care of this bunch. Pan will need you more then I will!"  
  
Trunks hesitated a brief moment at the command. He had never been one to run from a fight, even as a child. Goku was right though, he could handle this and Pan was most likely heading into more then she would be able to handle. With a curse, he nodded in accordance with the order and shot after the young woman, outdistancing the few warriors the broke off in pursuit.  
  
They came at him in a howling mass of fury with enough power to level a planet. It didn't save them from Son Goku. The first daemon to reach the sayai-jin pulled back a many-notched battle-axe to swing a blow it was sure would be fatal. It never even managed to take its' attack. Goku dropped down underneath the warrior, grabbing its' ankle in an iron grip as he passed. With a hard yank he pulled it out of its' upward flight and rotated to the side, releasing it towards the lead creature that had chased after Trunks. The yelling daemon passed two of its' comrades to slam into the third with bone jarring crack, black adamantine plates shattering at the impact as the two fell to the planet below.  
  
Even as his living missile was on its' way to the target Goku was well into his next move. He had flown back up above the approaching mass, looking downward to face them as they came at him. His hands flew to each side of his face fingers fanned wide. He just needed a moment's distraction to take care of the other two after Trunks then his group would be his.  
  
"Taiyoken!"  
  
The flash of intense light from the solar flare caused the approaching group to slow in places and stop in others, stunned and unable to see. Goku couldn't help a smile as his hands near his face snapped towards the last two warriors after the other sayai-jin. The twin balls of energy shot off at lightning speed widening as they closed in on their targets. The rear daemon caught the golden glow in the corner of his eye just in time to turn enough and see doom approaching. The other didn't even have time to scream.  
  
The remaining sixteen finally managed to clear their eyes and reorient themselves. They had spread out across the sky some and for a moment were unsure of their target position. That was until those on the left gave a grunt of surprise and fear.  
  
As one they turned to face the flaming golden form that had appeared in the sky within their ranks, and even as they did so, the Super Sayai-jin Son Goku attacked.  
  
Abbadon glanced up from the ritual he was performing at the ceiling of the chamber he inhabited in the very center of Dis. Even with the closest walls several miles distance he could still hear the combat occurring on the surface. The Lord Magi only sneered and glanced back at the heart of the world before him. The small sun pulsed and throbbed with the stellar energies, which coursed through it.  
  
He found himself musing again that as powerful as any race could become, so much power could always be contained within nature itself. He laughed and brought to mind the complicated ritual for opening the rift again.  
  
The order to open the rift had come from the Emperor himself, suggested by Mephiston, so there was no real point in changing the plan. Whoever won the conflict would still want the rift open and the move Dis into the Sol System into the space previously inhabited by Earth. Then they could use their home world as a staging point for conquering the other dimension.  
  
Abbadon stretched out to his full height, ten feet of terror and arcane power. He normally hunched over to give an image of physical frailty, so that those beneath him would underestimate him and he would have an easier time of weeding out the treacherous, he was anything but weak though. The skull-like face twisted into a mockery of a grin as he began to chant again, barbed and hooked tentacles writhing around his body in the gestures of the spell.  
  
The rift would be open soon and then they would again unleash true horror upon an unsuspecting dimension.  
  
Hammer paced in front of the small hut the warriors of New Namek had gathered in, he hated to admit it but he was nervous. He could feel the daemon warship approaching, bringing with it a horde of creatures the likes of which they had never seen before.  
  
He looked at his fellow warriors, some meditating, others practicing, all- trying to prepare for the fight they knew was coming, and the very likely possibility of death that would follow. These were his friends, his brothers, and they were so very few. Barely two hundred from across the entire planet and he knew that many of them would not be able to go home again by the next dawn.  
  
Tenshinhan stepped up besides the Namekian warrior. He could see the tension obvious across the others features. He couldn't say he blamed him. He felt it to; only years of experience kept him from letting it over take him. This was nearly as bad as the days before they went to the final confrontation with Cell. That time their chances had been so much better. Then Goku had his plan, and he knew it wouldn't fail. Gohan was going to save them.  
  
Goku had his plan this time to and it was very similar. It had failed once though. Medon had not helped them save Earth, his involvement may have actually helped lead to its' destruction. Chazou was gone, everyone was gone, there didn't seem to be anything left worth fighting for.  
  
Then he saw Bra moving between the warriors, bringing them food and stopping to speak with each one, bolstering their courage with words of encouragement. Her race may have been nearly gone, but she was a princess of the sayai-jin and she showed it with a will that would not be bowed out even by the possibility of impending doom.  
  
That was a reason to fight, to not cower before their enemies with broken spirits but with the pride and honor. Tenshinhan glanced over at Hammer and saw the same resolve on the other warriors face. They may very well die today, but they would do so in a battle of which they could be proud and their enemies would remember them and what the victory cost. Then he turned his head up to the sky the Kraken was closer, large enough to almost be seen for something other then a star.  
  
"It won't be much longer now."  
  
Hammer did not even turn to respond his voice flat and deadly.  
  
"Let them come."  
  
The golden streak that was Son Pan shot across the sky of Dis. She didn't even notice the chaos below her; it was just another distraction in the path to her brother. She has no intention of letting it stop her.  
  
When they had first appeared she had felt a small spot of energy that she knew was her brother. It was so low though she had barely managed to even tell the direction, much less the exact location and with the fighting across Dis now picking up she wasn't even sure of that anymore.  
  
With a snarl she stopped in her flight looking around at the daemons fighting across the ground far beneath her.  
  
"You damn things! You're getting in my way!"  
  
The two daemon battalions underneath her never even saw the hundreds of ki blasts that rained down upon them from the angry sayai-jin above.  
  
Even from the distance she flew above she could hear the yells of surprise and the screams of the dying, she couldn't see anything though from the smoke that has risen from the dozens of explosions that had rocked the area.  
  
It didn't matter. They had ceased to be people to her, they were just beasts. Beasts that had taken her home, her family and tried to take her life in a few short days, they didn't matter.  
  
She looked around again trying to find a fix on Medon's ki. She wasn't sure if it really was in the palace she had fixated on earlier. Growling Pan flew off slightly to the left of her previous course. She would find him.  
  
Asmodia had yet to find her chance to get off the floor. Zilvra had leapt to the attack almost immediately and had Laele on the defensive within seconds. Laele had held her ground though refusing to back down to her sister, which would have put them right into Asmodia's position.  
  
The princess of the Daemon Empire watched as Zilvra grabbed her twin by her flowing red hair and smashed her into one of the walls of the passageway with enough force to shake the palace around them. Rock turning to dust under the force of the impact, dust filling the small walkway. Laele was not one to take the beating laying down though, slammed her elbow back into Zilvra's stomach, turning even as the other woman stumbled backwards from the force of the blow to punch her full in the face and send her hurtling down the passage.  
  
She dashed down the hallway after Zilvra, throwing arcane balls of flame in front of her as she went.  
  
"Go free the sayai-jin Asmodia! I'll keep Zilvra busy here!"  
  
Asmodia turned to go stopping to look back at her friend only once before dashing around the corner and towards the holding cells.  
  
Laele stopped as she came closer to where Zilvra should have been. She had made a mistake using fire as her attack element; the passage had filled with so much smoke she couldn't see anything. Cautiously she advanced into the smoke, crouching low and keeping a defensive stance.  
  
"Keep me busy dear sister? All you'll do here is die at my feet traitor!"  
  
Laele whirled to the side at the statement of hate from her sister, one leg snapped out in a low sweeping kick. She didn't know her mistake until she her the popping noise above her.  
  
Zilvra dropped down onto the other daemoness from where she had been gripping onto the ceiling. As she fell the twin blades that were housed on the back of her gauntlets popped out. She would kill her traitorous sister and bring her head back to Mephiston.  
  
Laele twisted like a cat to get out of the way of the lethal assault. The act saved her life but not pain. One of the blades sliced a bright red line across the white skin of Laele's upper arm shredding the leather and steel armor that protected her. The other just missed her head, the cruel tip punching into the stone floor beneath her.  
  
Gritting her teeth at the pain, Laele put her hands together close to her body as Zilvra's weight pressed down on her gathering energy between her fingers and released the condensed ball just as her twin recovered for another strike.  
  
The explosion shook the corridor as Zilvra was hurled back against the ceiling by the ki orb the wind knocked out of her by it bursting right against her tightly muscled stomach. Laele was slowly coming to her feet also stunned by the explosion even as Zilvra came back down to the ground, landing lightly if somewhat unsteadily.  
  
The twins had trained and fought together many times over the years, they knew each other perfectly. They had never fought against each other though. Each was determined that this first time, would also be the last. Only one would walk away, either an assassin of the daemon empire, or a warrior who had seen to much violence and found she wished only for peace.  
  
The High Prince of the Daemon Empire, Duriel watched as the sayai-jin in the sky high above tore apart some of his more experienced warriors. Duriel had thrown his lot in with the magistrate, Mephiston for many reasons. The primary one being he never saw himself ever becoming Emperor while his rather lived. He was patient; he would give Mephiston a few decades of rulership before he ripped it from his grasp and installed himself into his rightful position as Emperor of the Daemon Empire, his empire.  
  
At the moment though his primary concern was the sayai-jin. He had heard much about them from Mephiston in the briefings for the attack upon Earth. He also recognized this one, Son Goku he was called. They had been warned of this one.  
  
Duriel snorted in contempt. He needed no warnings; he was easily one of the most powerful warriors in the Empire, exceeded only by the elite First Order of Knights. He wore the finest adamantine plate armor that was crafted on the planet, and was well over seven foot of muscle. His skin was a deep black a trait he shared with his father and even more resilient then the metal sheath he wore. He could handle a lone warrior.  
  
The prince drew the slender black bladed sword he called had dubbed the "Bloody Blade" for all his rivals he had slew with it in his youth, including his own brother, Levantus.  
  
Pointing the tip towards the sky he called upon the arcane energies that were the heritage of all daemons and unleashed his attack.  
  
"Hell Beam!"  
  
Goku punched his fist deep into the stomach of the last daemon warrior that stood against him, ki channeling through arm and into the still fighting creature. It exploded in a golden flash, a few traces of ash all that remained.  
  
The daemons had proved a little tougher then he had expected but not much. They had, however, managed to delay him long enough to Trunks to reach the edge of his vision and Pan to get completely out of sight. It would take some work to catch up to them.  
  
He was considering trying to lock onto Trunks ki signature to use his Instantaneous Movement to catch up to the other sayai-jin when the energy beam struck him between the shoulder blades.  
  
The sayai-jin cursed himself even as the wind was knocked out of him and he was sent tumbling from the sky. He should have felt the attack coming; he was focusing too much on Trunks and what he was going to do. He was thinking too much when he should be acting.  
  
Goku caught himself just before he hit the ground spinning around and tossing his arms out to stop his descent, the tip of his heavy boot just scraping against the street. The warriors face scrunched up in relief as he wiped a hand across his forehead.  
  
"Whew! That was a close one."  
  
"You aren't safe yet!"  
  
Duriel swung his sword at Goku's head even as the man turned to look at him. The prince had been waiting as the sayai-jin fell from the sky for the perfect moment to attack and now he had it while the other was still disoriented.  
  
Goku bent backwards as Duriel came in at him. Yes he was slow on the uptake at times, but not in combat. He wouldn't be taken unaware again and had been waiting for the attack. Backflipping backwards he brought his foot up into Duriel's chin sending the prince reeling backwards.  
  
Shaking his head to clear it Duriel snarled as Goku came up into a battle ready position again a thin smile on his face. This creature was disrespecting him; and the mere prospect of it enraged the narcissistic royalty.  
  
"How dare you! You are nothing! I am the High Prince an entire empire while you are a creature without even a home to return to! Die!"  
  
Duriel again aimed the Bloody Blade at Goku and channeled as much energy as possible into the blade, the arcane energy coursing through the blade which amplified it tenfold before releasing it towards the sayai-jin.  
  
The black energy blasted out of the sword twisting and warping into a huge black orb, which tore up the ground and warped space around it as it, rushed forward. Goku knew it was coming on to fast to dodge so he braced himself for impact raising his hands to try to ward off the assault. The arcane attack slammed into him like a freight train driving him backwards even as he struggled to hold his position, leaving ruts in the ground as he traveled away from Duriel.  
  
He was in trouble. He didn't have the strength in stage one to push back against the attack, nor could he lower his defense long enough to power up into level two or three of super sayai-jin to ward it off.  
  
A building was coming up fast behind Goku, the force of hitting it would probably be just enough to Duriel's attack to overwhelm him. He tried to plant himself again and push back against the black ball. He didn't know if it would work but he was not going to give up. That was when salvation came.  
  
A golden ball of energy slammed into the side of the annihilation ball, dragging it sharply to the side and away from Goku before detonating destroying both attacks. Goku rubbed his aching hands against his blue gi and watched the black armored figure descend from the sky between him and Duriel.  
  
Duriel sized up the newcomer, he was short, smaller even then the sayai-jin he was facing, but clad in the spiked adamantine armor that marked one of Mephiston's elite. The eyes behind the helmet though locked the prince in an angry stare that rivaled that of his father.  
  
"No one kills Kakarotto while I'm around."  
  
Behind the visor the dark eyes widened and turned a shade of brilliant green as cracks formed across the surface of the adamantine plate, golden light leaking as a primal growl came from the figure. Shards of armor turning to ash under the force of the energy contained within.  
  
Goku couldn't fight the smile that had forced its' way onto his face. Things were coming together after all.  
  
"There is my proud prince."  
  
The daemon armor blasted apart in a storm of razor sharp metal. The Daemon Prince Duriel then looked upon the Prince of the Sayai-jin and found himself nearly cowering under the cold emerald gaze of Vegeta.  
  
The black armored guard near the torture chamber braced his feet in the corridor. He could hear the battle erupting within the dungeons, the sounds of energy attacks and shattering walls echoed quite clearly to his alert ears.  
  
Why was he here? He couldn't remember. He just knew he was suppose to stand guard over this door and make sure Beelzebub completed his task. He only had seen the torturer for a moment but found the daemon repulsive never the less. The creature preferred to do horrors to helpless victims rather then engage in honorable combat. This bothered the guard, for more reasons he couldn't remember.  
  
With a shake of the black helmeted head he turned his mind back to the task at hand. He had to please his master, please Mephiston. He was just focusing again when a slender girl ran around the corner ahead of him.  
  
His orders were to kill anyone who came down his passage on sight. He hesitated though and gave Asmodia the chance she needed. She had been working her spell down most of the length of the hall, having been expecting to use it on Beelzebub. The guard was unexpected and from what she could sense, enormously powerful, much more then the simple armor he wore would indicate.  
  
She unleashed the magic just as he reacted moving down the hall at her at a speed she could barely comprehend. She turned her face to the side, eyes shutting to shield themselves from the resulting blast and fired.  
  
"Celestial Storm!"  
  
The guard was inches from her when the attack hit him, his hand reaching forward to grab her throat. The white and gold energy beam slammed into the outstretched hand and sent him sliding backwards.  
  
Asmodia opened one eye to watch the results of her attack. Celestial Storm was her most powerful attack magic, it took a long time to cast and used up a lot of arcane energy from herself and the surroundings but was well worth the cost. At least it normally was.  
  
The guard had been pushed about ten meters down the hall before he had stopped. Now he stood braced the beam still pushing against his outstretched hands. He was pitched forward his feet dug into the stones beneath him and slowly trying to push back against her.  
  
"Impossible.."  
  
She couldn't believe it; he was fighting against an attack that was capable of destroying daemons with enough power to join the First Order of Knights. She focused again and channeled another burst of energy into the attack. The white lights within the beam increased, a golden spiral of energy twisting around the ray and streaking forward.  
  
It still didn't destroy him. It did serve its' purpose though, the added energy was enough to send the guard sliding back across the floor, stones and mortar shooting up along the path to the wall some four hundred feet beyond him. The daemoness didn't let up though, pressing the attack to drive her foe into the unyielding stone behind him. She held up the attack until she was almost out of energy but was sure he couldn't have possibly survived.  
  
She stumbled and nearly fell, a slender hand reaching for the wall to hold her balance. No guard should have been that powerful, it wasn't possible; he should have been at least a captain underneath Azazel. She couldn't think about it now though.she had to save Medon.  
  
The chamber was right before her now all she had to do was get beast the torturer and she and the sayai-jin could get out of here. Steadying herself Asmodia gathered her arcane power again and dashed around the corner.  
  
Beelzebub was not hard to spot. The interrogator was a horrid sight even for a daemon. He was utterly misshapen sporting a hunched back and different length arms, one nearly dragging upon the ground. His face was a horror to behold with two huge tusks curling up from his mouth and his leather skin was a sickly yellow color.  
  
She didn't let this deter her though, even as he turned away from the sayai- jin lying still on a table besides him, Asmodia attacked. She spun throwing the first arcane energy ball and immediately forming and hurling another both striking the other daemon with a large crackling noise.  
  
Asmodia was not a solider though; she was a priestess, more concerned with arcane works and the people of the empire then battle. She had expended far too much energy on the guard and had barely enough left to even make the powerful daemon bat an eye. As the hideous creature charged through the energy of her attack she had little she could do but raise her arms in a semblance of defense and await the impact.  
  
Ranaghar didn't even try to hide his look of contempt as he and Irruit heard Kale's story. He couldn't believe the giant had allowed himself to be blindsided and then the attacker to escape. Yes, the other daemon was not that intelligent but it was still unacceptable.  
  
"If this keeps up the master may think he wasted his time saving you on Earth."  
  
The daemoness, Irruit spit at the giant's feet after the remark. She was right but Ranaghar didn't need any dissent among the group at this moment. Laele had vanished earlier in the day and then Zilvra had said she had something to take care of. Now he could feel the two of their energies flaring and ebbing in close contact with each other.  
  
That wasn't odd alone, but there was no energy source near them that would require that much effort to beat, except each other. His serpent-like eyes silted as the daemon tried to think what this could mean. Mephiston had wanted Laele watched after her time alone with the sayai-jin. He didn't like it. They would take action; it would also keep Kale from killing Irruit as he seemed inclined to do at the moment.  
  
"Stop it, both of you. Something is occurring beneath the palace. Lord Mephiston said he has no more use for the sayai-jin. We will go there, kill the boy, and retrieve Laele and Zilvra. Do not engage in combat without my command."  
  
The other two daemons turned a bit surprised at the sudden orders. They had been ordered to hold around Mephiston's tower. The Emperor's elite guard had organized and taken the field and an attack on this location was expected if they managed to get past Ahriman and his knights. The magistrate did give Ranaghar a large amount of independence even contradictory to orders sometimes, so they both nodded in agreement. The three daemons took to the air speeding towards the great palace and the battle that continued in the depths.  
  
Beelzebub pulled up short just as he reached Asmodia a bony fist striking out to impact against her delicate cheek knocking her back out the door and into the opposing wall. She already found herself fighting to keep her eyes open and not pass out as pain the like of which she had never experienced before washed over her.  
  
Asmodia had never had any combat training beyond basics to defend herself and had lived a privileged existence. Physical pain was not something she was accustomed to and especially not the like which the monstrously strong torturer was used to dishing out. She raised a shaking hand to her cheek and looked with fear at it as it came away red with her own blood from where the bony spurs on the other daemons fist had torn away skin.  
  
"Well my pretty, I have to say I'm happy to see you. I've been watching you for years you little bitch. Always so high and mighty, hiding behind you parents. Oh yes..we will have so much fun. You will beg me before the evening is over..oh yes."  
  
Her knees gave out then as she slid into a sitting position against the wall, watching Beelzebub slowly come out of the room towards her. A sickening smile had spread across his face, a thin trail of drool breaking out of his lips as he looked her over, especially the pale expanse of leg, which had emerged from her robes during the scuffle. She had failed. She closed her eyes as he reached for her and hoped the end would come quick.  
  
She waited for the horrible touch, but it never came. Slowly the priestess opened her eyes and saw the daemon struggling trying to pull his hand away from the guard she had attacked. The armored warrior stood firm though, his fingers clamped onto the daemons wrist. The armor still smoked from her attack a large dent obvious in the chest. The eyes behind the helm though were not clouded anymore and stared ahead clearly.  
  
"Let go of me you bastard!"  
  
Beelzebub swung his other hand in a punch, deceptively quick for his deformity, which crashed into the helm the warrior wore causing the studs, which held it in place to pop and weaken. The guard responded in kind his other hand locking onto the interrogator's face, the other switching to underneath the daemons arm. White ki flared up as muscles heaved and sent the daemon up into the city. The ceiling lost the battle quickly a large hole appearing as Beelzebub flew upward causing several more holes until he came to rest in the main palace itself a few hundred feet straight up.  
  
Asmodia couldn't even find words of thanks as the warrior looked at her and extended his hand to help her to her feet. She didn't understand. When she didn't take the hand he gave a small nod and looked into the room where Medon lay still unconscious.  
  
Gauntleted hands came up to the helm and broke the remaining bolts pulling it from the warrior's head. She could see the short spiked black hair as he dropped the helmet to the floor not turning to face her.  
  
"Take him from this place, please."  
  
Then he turned to her and smiled. It was a smile filed with hope and sadness, a smile she knew Laele must have seen on the boy in the room. She was still speechless when Son Gohan flared up with ki and gave chase to Beelzebub into the palace above.  
  
Pan had gotten herself lost, the energy patterns of Dis kept changing and causing her to lose track of where she thought Medon was. She wasn't aware of it but it was the result of the ritual being cast deep within the heart of the planet by the Lord Magi, Abbadon. Now she found herself hovering next to a large tower which stretched towards the sky, wicked spires twisting off in all directions and impossible architectural angles.  
  
"Son of a bitch! How am I suppose to find my brother if this damn place keeps changing where it feels like he is."  
  
She turned in the air, pausing only a moment in her rotation as an airborne daemon made a pass at her to drive her foot into the unfortunate creatures face sending it off towards the horizon.  
  
"Nuisances."  
  
Then she felt it. It was a power the likes of which she had never felt before not even on Earth in its' final moments. It was in the tower. She knew she should flee and not look back but she had to check. Her brother could very well be within. It would make sense to keep him imprisoned by a power this great.  
  
She was floating towards the tower when the sky around her turned black, space warping and twisting as she was transported from outside to within the towers walls. She spun around trying to determine what happened. She was in a large circular stone room, easily as big as the main dome of Capsule Corporation. Below her was a single figure looking up at her.  
  
He could have passed for human except he was to perfect. The man was just over six foot tall and well muscled; obvious even in the robes he wore. He face was handsome, but held an almost predatory look; angular and set with two cruel yellow eyes that watched her every movement. It was the smile that set her on edge though, a thin wicked feature, which Vegeta would have envied, in his worse days.  
  
"Welcome to the home of Mephiston little sayai-jin. Your brother and I have spent much quality time together. You have invaded the boundaries of my home and since my inept guards have left to handle other duties, you and I will also have a chance to know each other."  
  
Pans hands clenched into fists. Her ki rising without hesitation, if it was a fight this guy wanted it was a fight he was going to get. She didn't care how strong he was; she was going to get her brother back.  
  
"Excellent! I haven't had a challenge in sometime. I hope you will not find it to much to amuse me before you die."  
  
Asmodia crawled into the room the chamber. Her legs still did not want to support her. It seems to take forever to make her way to the table where Medon lay and pull herself into a standing position besides it.  
  
He hadn't been fully healed since the last session with Beelzebub. She had to heal him and she was so weak. She only had one spell that would possibly work in this situation. It was a form of empathy but was expressed physically as well as emotionally. She could take his wounds onto herself.  
  
Doing so linked the two minds during the process as feelings were as intimately shared, as were the physical trials that one had undergone. It was not lightly done. The priestess only hesitated a moment though as she placed slender fingers on each side of the teenagers face and pressed soft lips against unleashing her remaining energy. The pain began almost instantly and she felt blood trickling down her flanks she took the injuries onto herself.  
  
She felt Medon's memories swirling through her head as their minds linked. She knew he was experiencing the same though it would be more like a dream since he was unconscious.  
  
She saw the man from the hallway on a porch speaking to his son as they looked to the stars together. Speaking of the future that had been fought so hard for and the world that awaited him.  
  
She watched a beautiful woman with black hair and lavender eyes tuck him into bed and kiss him tenderly as she told him of her love.  
  
She felt the pride as he watched his sister become the World Champion and his smiling grandfather hand over the belt to the cheers of thousands.  
  
Then she saw the man laying on the ground, the woman her eyes shut and face pale, and other loved ones dead and dying around him. She felt rage and the push of power. The power was still there waiting to come out, only the surface of it had been touched. Then with a single thrust of her mind, Asmodia broke the last barrier within Medon and let loose the hidden power which had lurked within him his entire life.  
  
Lavender eyes snapped open, the orbs shrinking and turning a bright emerald.  
  
Trunks was coming up fast on the tower that he had seen Pan stop by when the ki wave hit him. He nearly was knocked from the air by the spectral force that washed over the surface of Dis.  
  
He turned looking into the distance where it had originated. The dark clouds in the sky had split apart at the force that was being awoken deep in the ground beneath them. Golden light streamed out of the crack that had split the great palace, great blue streaks of energy dancing from sky to ground.  
  
He could feel the energy as a Super Sayai-jin the like of which had never been seen before came into existence. Medon was awake. 


End file.
